Sundown
by The Super Sass
Summary: As Persephone lay in the cool grass the shade offered her, a chill crept across her body. She wondered if invoking his name would really bring her estranged husband to her as Demeter feared. She was still, her cheek on the ground, her hand pressed into the dirt, her fingers tapping the ground. "Hades…" she whispered. "My king…"
1. Chapter 1

The heat of the blaring sun seeped into Persephone's skin as she stood, eyes closed and arms outstretched as if to catch the rays on their way to the Earth. After a few moments she sighed and opened her eyes, taking up her basket from the ground and continuing her aimless wandering.

Demeter had insisted that Helios celebrate her return to the fullest for months. Her mother was overjoyed and meant well, as she thought that's what Persephone wanted. While her daughter certainly had missed the open air and the sunlight while she was gone, after yet another month of blaring heat, all Persephone wanted was some shade and a cool breeze.

And space. Space from her mother who smothered her in constant, anxious affection. Space from all the celebrations from her return. Space to finally stop smiling and repeating for the umpteenth time about how happy she was to be back.

She _was_ happy to be back, and she had missed her mother. But she was overwhelmed and over stimulated from the blinding heat, the constant companionship of her mother, and the gaggle of nymphs her mother had unleashed upon her. At first she thought they were to keep her entertained or from being lonely. Over time Demeter's insistence on spending time with them made her think they were there to socialize her and to make sure she was never unsupervised again.

Persephone cherished this rare occasion of wandering the fields alone to find a spot to sit and simply enjoy the solitude. The heat of the relentless rays had exhausted her. If she were mortal, she imagined she would have burned by now. Instead her skin radiated a smoldering gold, so much that she could smell the excess sun on her.

Her bare feet trod through the soft, warm soil until she finally found a tall, thin tree that cast shadow below it.

Tall and thin, she thought, like _him._

Demeter refused to ever speak his name, as if even that alone would be cause enough for him to split the earth and take her back. As if even thinking of him would cause her to disappear. She would quickly silence anyone who tried to reference Persephone's time in the Underworld, referring to it simply as "when she was away," in "that place" or with "him."

As Persephone sat in the cool grass the shade offered her, she realized Demeter's strict repression of those missing months had made her feel guilty for even thinking of him. Alone in the quiet shadow of the tree, she leaned against its trunk and let her mind wander.

Hades. The man who had taken her. Her husband. Cold, taciturn, ruthless, feared. At least what everyone else knew of him.

She understood why the mortals feared him – they feared Death and what lay below in the Underworld. The nymphs feared Demeter's anger at his mention. The immortals feared the return of her devastating, famine-inducing scorn should they dare mention him or the abduction of her precious, innocent daughter.

She pondered over the word innocent. While she supposed she had only been there for a short time, she felt changed now that she was back. Despite her mother's best efforts, it didn't feel like things would go back to the way they were before. She was certainly not _pure_ in the physical sense anymore.

Persephone lay down across the cool grass, letting her mind take her back to the palace in the Underworld. _Her_ palace, he had said.

The quiet stillness of her ornate, golden bedroom. The cool softness of her sheets across her bare skin. At first, there was nothing but the raw loneliness, the claustrophobic sense of isolation, the crushing feeling of hopelessness and loss.

When that pain subsided, there was curiosity. Walking the halls of the vast palace, the floor cold on her bare feet, eyes wide as the plain architecture was sharply contrasted by endless diamonds, rubies, sapphires, so numerous it seemed impossible and surreal.

His dark throne. His stiff posture as he sat upon it, his body a compilation of sharp angles and tight, practiced control. His jarring bright eyes. His pronounced jaw. His firm lips. His bony shoulders. His narrow torso. His long fingers.

Persephone thought of the night she finally allowed him entrance into her room. She remembered the surprise on his face when she opened the door, most of their conversations held on the opposite sides of a door. She thought of his awkward gait as he sat on the edge of her bed and spoke to her as she fell asleep. The feel of his hand in hers when she grabbed it, stopping him, asking him not to leave.

She thought of his warm lips pressing into her skin over and over again, the cautious, exploring touch of his hands across her curves. She thought of the cold bareness, the raw vulnerability once nothing was between them. She thought of those piercing eyes on her as he slowly entered her, taking her.

Persephone sighed as a chill crept across her body, wondering if invoking his name would really bring her to him as Demeter feared. She lay down in the shade and pressed her cheek to the soft soil, closing her eyes. Her hand pressed into the dirt, her fingers tapping the ground.

"Hades…" she whispered. "My king…"

A realm away, Hades jolted as if he had been burned, her voice ringing clear as day in his ears, the heat of the sun's rays racing down his spine.


	2. Chapter 2

Mortals rarely, if ever, prayed to Hades. They feared Death more than anything and would do anything to avoid bringing it upon themselves early. They feared the unknown and the tales they had heard about him. They never whispered his name in hushed tones and avoided any such morbid thoughts about it.

The few prayers he did get were from the suicidal, drowning so deeply in pain and anguish that they asked him to take them away from suffering, asked that he would welcome their arrival.

He occasionally got the overly brash and bold young warrior, after his proud prayers to Ares, would add in promises to deliver souls to Hades that day as an afterthought, so drunk in his confidence and the heighted emotions of war that he didn't fear to think on him. Often he met that same soul, slain in battle, later that day. By then, they were no longer proud.

This was the not the fearful, hushed whispers of mortals. This prayer was reverent, pleading, searching.

It was his queen, calling out to him.

Despite his best attempts at mind over emotions, the past months had been miserable. She had only been with him for a handful of weeks, but her absence lingered on in ways he hadn't expected.

The quiet of his realm after her departure roared in his ears for days. The acute pain of her absence faded to a chronic ailing. No reasoning of his mind could quell the unhappiness that plagued him.

The day she was fated to be returned to her mother, he had left fruit on her table. He offered it to her that she might not return home looking neglected or having the world above think of him as a cruel, negligent husband. As they waited for Hermes, he watched as she rolled a pomegranate under her hand idly, back and forth, back and forth. Unable to watch her any more and not wanting to see her part, he bid her goodbye and left her.

Once he felt her presence leave the Underworld, he sprinted back to that same room, fear and hope a tight knot in his gut. Relief brought him to his knees upon seeing the pomegranate broken open with six seeds missing. It was then he first realized how deeply his emotions for her ran. Then, months of silence.

She would return; she must. But would she resent him for trapping her with the fruit? Did she know the gravity of her actions as she made them? He could have immediately made his claim on her as soon as he saw the seeds. He didn't care how Demeter, or Zeus, or any other god might react, as there was nothing they could do.

But he lived in fear of her resentment. Before she left, she seemed to be opening her heart to him. Would her affections cool once she knew how and why she must return to him? It was a conflict he was always willing to put off for one more day.

This day, the dilemma finally found him. He rarely spent time in the world above, so the hot warmth of sun on his fair skin was unmistakable. It burned through him like a sudden sickness. He'd heard her voice as clearly as if she were standing next to him, speaking directly into his ear.

Restless and unnerved, he made his way to her room. It sat untouched since she left, the sheets of her bed askew. He couldn't bring himself to have the room straightened, as it would mean admitting she was gone. He sat on the edge of the bed and placed his hand on the crumbled pillow where she slept.

He immediately recoiled his hand. The sheets were warm as if she had just slept on them. No, he thought, warmer than that. Warm as if the sun had been shinning on them.

He lay next to her spot on the bed, remembering the first night he slept here. After weeks of living nearly separate lives she let him in, imploring he stay the night. He woke with her in his arms, a chaste, tender embrace.

Days later he was back between her sheets when she crawled beneath the covers next to him, wearing nothing. That night they were a tangle of limbs, lips, and sweat in an embrace that was notably less chaste.

Now in alone in her bed, he closed his eyes, leaving logic behind him, and spread his hand across the impossibly warm sheets where she once slept. He remembered that first night, when he embraced her with no clothing between them. His long fingers ran cautiously across her body, not daring to explore too quickly. He looked up at her for reassurance when his hands approached her chest; she looked him dead in the eye in the dark, her gaze a silent encouragement, her quiet confidence a siren song.

In the world above, Persephone's eyes stayed closed as she dozed in the shade. Her mind wandered to the feel of his fingertips on her bare, sun-bronze skin, the way his slow exploration had aroused her that first time. The touch of his hand grazing down her side, over her hips, across her backside, back up her arms and lingering on her neck.

He thought of taking her face in his hands and letting his lips rest against hers, pressing kisses into her neck, jaw, and across her shoulders. Her head leaned back, stretching her neck to give him access. Alone in the room, he thought he could hear her sigh when his finally kissed her lips, taking her full bottom lip between both of his.

His scalp tingled as she thought of her fingernails running through his hair, down his neck, down the length of his back, her hands splayed across his wide shoulders. She shivered when he remembered his hand gliding between her breasts, her body slick with anticipatory sweat, down across her trembling stomach. His fingers ventured lower, between her parted legs.

Persephone jolted awake with a breathy cry. She blinked her eyes furiously to adjust to the light as she established her bearings. She was still in the field, the sun still high in the sky. Once she caught her breath, she flushed even though she was alone. She had been without a man's touch – without his touch – so long, even a daydream of him had been too much for her mind to take.

In the world below, Hades eyes opened suddenly, startled by a sound echoing in the empty room. He stood and looked around to find he was still alone. He looked back at the bed; it was impossible, but the sound was unmistakable. He would never forget the sound of his wife's pleasure, and he had imagined so clearly it seemed real.

Hades took a deep breath, walking very deliberately out of the room, the door shutting with a thud behind him. It had been months, nearly half the year, more than long enough. He couldn't put off exposing the truth any longer.

The Underworld had been without its queen too long.

Hades had been without his queen too long.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a day like any other that day Persephone saw the strange flower in her field. The nymphs had all gone swimming in the river, leaving her to gather the flowers for the crowns they were going to make. She had turned to join them in the water when something in her periphery caught her eye.

A vibrant purple flower stood alone in the middle of the field, a stark contrast to the soft pastel shades around it. She knew every flower that grew in this area – every flower there was – but this was nothing she had seen before. It stood tall, waving in the wind, beckoning to her.

Fascinated, she touched its soft petals and studied it from all sides. She thought she should leave it, as perhaps others might grow, but curiosity got the best of her. She pulled it from the ground carefully, adding it to the top of the pile in her wide basket.

She was all the way across the field when she heard something strange. Or rather, _didn't_ hear something. Suddenly there were no birds chirping, no wind blowing, no creatures rustling in the grass. It was unnaturally silent, followed by a dull rumbling approaching from afar. She looked every direction across the field – nothing.

The rumbling got louder, but nothing in sight gave away the source of the sound. A buzzing in her feet made her wonder if this was an earthquake, though this area had never had one. She looked down at the ground and all across the horizon, trying to find the steady rhythm beating louder.

When she turned back to where she found the flower, a soft gasp passed her lips. Across the field were four night-black chargers, their manes whipping widely through the air as they galloped towards her. They were fierce, terrible, and absolutely stunning, dark angels tearing through her quiet field. Persephone was transfixed, wondering if she had ever seen any so beautiful.

They pulled an ornate golden chariot accented in black, with no rider inside. She admired the wild abandon of the stallions and the beautiful chariot they pulled, unable to process what her eyes showed her as reality. She watched calmly, like an outside looking into to someone else's strange dream. The horses continued their steady charge towards her, the rolling rhythm of their hooves ripping through the field growing louder and louder.

Suddenly, a man flickered into view in the chariot. He was tall, terrible, his face and entire body covered in matte black armor accented in gold. Through the slits of his helmet, she could see cold blue eyes, looking directly at her. Looking _into_ her.

A sharp chill electrified Persephone's body from scalp to toes, abruptly waking her from her dream-like stupor. She stumbled backwards, her mind screaming danger but her body refusing to cooperate. Her limbs locked, her mind frozen in shock. Her eyes grew wide, her breath caught in her throat. She was helpless prey trapped into the gaze of a viper.

She watched spellbound as the horses ran directly towards her. The armored man reached his long arms towards her as he approached. She tentatively held up her hand to touch his hand, a moth drawn to the flame.

With no transition in between, she went from standing barefoot in the dirt to freefalling out of existence. Cold, hard metal pressed against her torso and sharp fingers dug mercilessly into her back and under her thigh. Her limbs flailed, useless, and she realized the long scream ripping through the air was coming from her mouth. The ground rushed above her and the sun turned upside down. Heels over head, she descended with him into unyielding blackness, and never truly came back.

Persephone, restless and unsettled by the intimate daydream of her husband, got up and walked across the vast field to where this all began. Demeter and the nymphs stayed far from it even now, as it was a reminder of her violent abduction. Rape, they had said.

What they didn't know was what had happened after. After she stopped screaming, stopped flailing, stopped the long, disorienting ride to the other side. Once she was finally set down in the Underworld and a proper introduction was made. Once he laid everything he had: his kingdom, his title, himself – at her feet.

The goddess of flowers slowed her walk and stopped at the spot where the earth reclaimed them. The flowers and grass had grown back, but the ground wasn't even. Many times since she had returned here, when no one was watching. She wondered if the purple flower would grow again, always expecting to see it in the corner of her eye. She never did.

Later, she heard the tale of what they found from the nymphs. Hearing Persephone's terrified scream ring shrilly over the rushing river, the eldest of the nymphs ran up to the field. She came too late, seeing the trampled ruin of the horses' path, a scattering of smashed flowers, Persephone's torn basket, and a single purple flower lying untouched on the top.

She could only imagine their horror upon finding such a sight, especially for her mother. Demeter had done everything possible to keep her protected, especially from other gods. To find such a violent story told in the ground must have destroyed her. Enough that she was willing to destroy the Earth to get her back.

Persephone signed and looked across the horizon. The sun was finally setting, the blazing heat replaced with a comfortable coolness. The sky wore a dusty purple and rosy pink around the sun's warm orange glow, fading into a cool blue. As the sky grew dark, the Earth around her grew quiet. Dead quiet.

She turned slowly around, a familiar hum in the air. Across the way, four black steeds stood still and calm, an unmanned chariot behind them.

Persephone did not have to see her husband to know he was standing before her. Her heart raced as she felt his presence approach her. She looked through him into the empty space, waiting.

In an instant her showed himself to her, this time his armor replaced with the fine raiment of a king. She stared up at him, feeling small in her simple white dress, her feet bare. They laid eyes on each other for the first time in months, an unspoken charge between them. Finally, she spoke.

"Lord Hades," she said with a small curtsy. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He knelt on one knee before her, bowing his head low.

"You called for me, my queen." She held her breath; he had heard her.

"Have you come to carry me away again?" He stood and looked her in the eye.

"Yes."

A thrill ran through her. He stalked towards her, but she stood her ground, keeping her eyes on his.

"Though I am hoping this time I can persuade you to come without a fight."


	4. Chapter 4

Hades looked down at his much-missed wife. She looked different than the woman he had last seen in the Underworld those months ago, different than the girl he had taken from this very field.

The bronze glow of the sun radiated off her skin, sprinkled sporadically with freckles. Her long, dirty blonde hair was wavy, wild, and wind-blown, spilling over her shoulders and down her chest. His eyes lingered a bit too long on her body before flickering to her face. There would be time for that later. Or at least, he hoped there would.

He looked into her bright green eyes, desperately trying to read them. This time, he was not snatching her away and answering questions later. He had made his intentions known and now faced her reaction, feeling more and more helpless the longer she stayed silent.

The goddess of the flowers stood motionless looking up at him, her mind racing. After all that had happened to get her back, she never considered that she would see him again. Not only was he in her field now, but he intended to take her back with him to the Underworld. Her thoughts only briefly considered the ramifications with her mother and the Earth, a mix of excitement and anxiety buzzing through her. Finally, she found her voice.

"You want me … to return to the Underworld with you?"

"Yes." His answer was resolute, his gaze unflinching. She felt exposed, like he was looking through her and into her. She bit her bottom lip and tilted her head with a hint of a smile.

"And why would you want that?"

Hades raised an eyebrow; he was certainly willing to flatter her if that's what she wanted.

"I've missed you, Persephone." The sound of her name passing his lips electrified her, like it was awakening a part of her that had lay dormant the past half year.

"And the Underworld needs both its rulers."

Rulers. King and queen, side by side, he had said. Even upon her triumphant return to the Earth, even as the goddess of the spring and the flowers and the cause of all the celebration, she was always a step below Demeter. The dark, ambitious part of her pushed down beneath Kore did miss the power and the importance the Underworld gave her. That he gave her.

"You mean to tell me that after years of ruling alone, the job is too much for you now?" This time she smiled, her eyes teasing. Hades visibly relaxed at her playfulness, her smile immediately putting him at ease.

"It seems it is." She walked past him with a tsk, purposefully brushing his arm with her shoulder as she passed. His eyes followed her as she walked up to one of his horses, reaching out to stroke its head.

"Do you ever ride them?" He blinked at her.

"I rode them here."

"No, I mean, do you ride _on_ them? On horseback?" she looked back at him expectantly.

"No, I never have." She ran her hand across its neck, admiring its shiny black coat as it fidget in place.

"Would you like to?" he offered.

She lit up, a wide smile crossing her face. He promised himself he'd do anything she wanted for the rest of his life that elicited that reaction. Before he could offer any assistance, she held the bottom of the horse's mane, took a few hopping steps, and jumped, throwing one leg across the other side. The horse took a few steps in place, but otherwise stayed still as she situation herself, sitting up tall.

"I've never seen them so calm around someone new," he mused, patting the horse's head, trying not to stare directly at her now exposed thighs.

"Well I'm not exactly new. I'm Queen of the Underworld after all." His head snapped up to her and he dared to hope. Hope that she really still saw herself that way, that she wanted to be his queen. The ferocity of his reaction made her realize she could be playing a dangerous game, taking this lightly. His put his hand on her knee.

"Persephone, I have missed you." He looked up at her, exposed, imploring. "And I do need you," he added quietly, his gaze flickering down.

She had never seen him like this. He was out of his realm, out of his element, and separated from his usual silent strength. She had missed him too, and his vulnerable honesty pulled at her heartstrings. Her leg tingled where he touched it, and she longed for his fingers to wander furthher. She put her hand on top of his and waited for him to look back up at her, gazing back into his eyes, saying nothing.

Far across the field, Demeter frowned. Something was not right. Even though the sun had dipped below the horizon, it was too cool already, and she hadn't seen Kore in hours. The nymphs had yet again proved themselves unreliable guardians of her daughter.

As she scanned the field, she caught something dark in her periphery. She turned, squinting at the strange black figures she saw in the fading light. Kore. Horses. And…

Her heart stopped; it couldn't be. The kidnapper and rapist who had taken her daughter, the dreadful Lord of the Dead, had dared come back to the same field he took her. All of Demeter's worst nightmares immediately flooded through her, nightmares she thought would disappear forever when Hermes returned with Kore.

The vast loneliness of the days without her, the despaired thoughts of what she must be feeling, the vile, uninvited concoctions of her imagination poisoning her mind with images of him violating her, of her suffering.

Demeter let out a choked cry before taking a ragged, deep breath and charged through the field towards him. Not this time, not again. Never again. He may have avoided her wrath the day he took her or the day she returned, but today he would answer for what he had done.

Persephone opened her mouth to speak, but stopped herself, sighing. Her mother was charging across the field towards them, and it was a confrontation she imagined would be explosive. She gave Hades a wry half smile.

"You should have worn the armor."


	5. Chapter 5

In the Underworld, Persephone was a force of nature to Hades. Her curiosity shone like sunshine, her easy, graceful movements like a cool breeze, the hum of her voice a gentle rain.

But if Persephone was gentle rain, Demeter was a hurricane. Raging towards him, Hades had no doubt this goddess starved the Earth without a second thought. Humans feared him, he thought, but it was immortals like her they should fear. Fury, panic, and revenge burned into her eyes as she neared them. He had expected no less and steeled himself for the oncoming storm.

Hades held his hand out for Persephone. She took it, hopping off the horse next to him. He didn't think it was possible, but Demeter looked even more enraged, her voice dark and icy.

"Get your hands _OFF_ of her!" Demeter ran up to protect her daughter, startling the horses, and causes them to rear up and whinny loudly. Demeter gasped, grabbing Persephone by the arm and yanking her away as Hades tried to calm the horses, annoyed at the spectacle.

Persephone pulled her arm free, disoriented by the sudden flurry of motion. Demeter composed herself, put her body in front of Persephone, and whirled back around to Hades.

"How _dare_ you come here!" Months worth of anger bubbled up insider her, so much she could hardly focus what to articulate. "Leave _now_ or I will make sure you spend every waking moment in agonizing suffering to pay for what you've done!"

Persephone peered over her mother's shoulder. Hades looked thoroughly unaffected by her mother's words, his expression unmoving and dispassionate. She was impressed; she had never seen anyone hold their ground against her mother. She had long ago learned to pick her battles to placate her, and the nymphs wouldn't dare challenge her on any matter.

"I will gladly leave, but with Persephone with me." Persephone winced; that was definitely the wrong answer.

"If you even _think_ of laying a finger on her…" Demeter grinded out, her voice low and rasping, "I will let every last soul on this Earth die until your kingdom if _overflowing_ with the dead."

The goddess of flowers' jaw dropped, her eyes wide.

"Mother!" she shook at her mother's shoulder, horrified, but Demeter did not budge, her eyes boring into Hades. Despite her clenched fists and tense stance, she could feel her mother shaking. She was furious, but she was afraid; a frightened animal lashing out to protect itself. To protect her.

Hades looked down at the sharp, vicious expression Demeter pointed at him. He had certainly expected anger, but this was unchecked, callous rage. Looking into her eyes, he had no doubt in his mind she meant was she said.

She didn't know it yet, but there was nothing she could do, and he wondered what consequences the Earth was suffer this time as a result. For a brief moment, Hades pitied her. She likely thought she would never see her daughter again when she first left; he at least had come knowing she must return to him.

"Demeter, if you will listen to reason, she _must_ return as she-"

"I will listen to _nothing_ that comes from the mouth of _rapist!"_ she spat at him, tears pooling in her eyes despite her best efforts. Persephone paled and over her mother's shoulder, her gaze briefly met Hades'.

As the dusk sky grew darker, a sudden chill cut through the air, causing her daughter to rub her arms with a shiver. The time for words was over. She knew from experience that there was only one thing the gods would listen to, and it was the wails of dying mortals. And hear it they would.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, causing all three gods to look up. Both Demeter and Hades sighed in relief; Hades glad for someone whose authority she must listen to, Demeter glad to have the one who ordered her daughter back, the one who could outrank him.

A bright flash of lightning illuminated the field, and suddenly Zeus was before the three of them. He stood tall, broad, and regal, his long, thick hair catching the last glimmer of light in the sky. He looked between the three of them, weariness already on his face. He had already mediated this battle, yet here it was again before him, all the players in one place with him in the middle.

Demeter smirked at Hades; he had lost and would be put in his place soon enough. Zeus looked at his brother, confused at what could possibly have possessed him to do this. He had not known the god of the Underworld to be a man of great passion or prone to foolish endeavors for the sake of a woman; even now, he seemed calm in the face of Demeter's wrath.

"Hades," he started, hoping this exchange would begin and end civilly, "What business do you have here?"

"I've come for my wife."

Zeus sighed. He had hoped this mess was behind them; it seems it was not.

"He can't have her," Demeter sneered, pushing her daughter further behind her. "And you know what I'll do if he does." Zeus turned to Hades, a resigned look on his face.

"Hades, we have settled this..."

"It's not a matter of me having her," Hades interjected. "Her realm must have her."

" _This_ realm must have her!" Demeter shouted, disgusted Hades would associate her precious, radiant daughter with the darkness of the world below. "She was born goddess of the flowers and belongs _here!_ She is no longer and never was your wife!" Demeter turned to Zeus for affirmation.

"You look to him, yet he was the one who promised her to me," Hades commented dryly, tired of this exhausting interaction with Demeter. She replied with a snarl, and Zeus gave Hades a withering look. He expected the onslaught of emotions from Demeter, but had not expected Hades to exacerbate it.

"Zeus, this is not a matter for you to decide. Persephone must return with me." The king of the gods opened his mouth, angered at his brother's outright defiance of his authority, but Demeter beat him to it.

"You have _no_ way to-"

"She has eaten the fruit of the Underworld."

Persephone, who felt like a child as people fought over her, watched in awe as all three powerful gods simultaneously went silent, the sudden emptiness heavy in the air. Hades looked triumphant, Demeter's mouth hung open, and Zeus' eyes were wide in realization. The goddess of the harvest found her voice first, spluttering defensively.

"T-there is no way he could possibly _prove_ such a-"

"Persephone." Zeus addressed her directly. He wanted to hear from her, the one who had always been the silent piece in the center. "Is this true?"

She looked over at Hades, whose face was serene, whose stern complexion in the face softened momentarily for her. She looked at her mother, whose wide eyes were fixed expectantly on her, wordlessly pleading for it to false. She looked up at the king of the gods, realizing he had been dealing with this mess she had briefly witnessed for a long time.

"Yes. I ate them." Her voice was soft, but sure. Then the quiet settled back in.

She glanced at her mother and she immediately regretted it. Demeter's eyes were fixed on her, heartbroken, tears threatened to spill over. Hades looked at his brother knowingly. Zeus approached the shell shocked Demeter.

"Demeter," he said gently, "You know this means -"

"You _forced_ her!" she screamed at Hades, pointing an accusatory finger. "She would _never_ choose to bind herself to that terrible place!" She looked pleadingly up at Zeus as she quickly spiraled into hysteria, her voice shaking.

"You can't expect me to accept his! He-he stole her, he forced himself on her, and he clearly made her eat them, you can't possibly -"

"He didn't make me eat them."

For a second time, Persephone's quiet voice silenced the group. She focused her gaze on Zeus, trying to avoid the wide eyed betrayal on her mother's face.

"He wasn't even in the room when I did. He couldn't even have known until after I left."

Hades was grateful to finally have her voice defending him. He longed to be alone with her, to know what she was feeling about all this. Between her account and Zeus' clear understanding of the laws of the universe, there was no denying it now.

"She's right - after Hermes took her back, I found a pomegranate with six seeds missing. She must return to the Underworld for no less than six months." He paused, to make sure both Zeus and Demeter were listening.

"She has since spent six months in the world above, and the separation between the Underworld and the Earth has already started to blur. If she is gone any longer, the living Earth will be overtaken by the souls of the Underworld. It is time for her to return."

Persephone thought back to laying in the shade earlier that day, what felt like a lifetime ago. She had dreamnt of him so clearly, she thought she could feel his hands on her body. She'd called for him, he said. She merely spoke his name, and he heard her, a realm away.

Demeter choked out a sob, falling to her knees. Everything had been taken from her again, and this time she had been teased to think she had her life back. She felt a sharp pang of regret for keeping Persephone away from the likes of Apollo or Hermes; anyone would have been better than him. Any haughty or unfaithful lover and the following heartbreak would have been better than dooming her to half her life in death.

Zeus crouched down to comfort Demeter, but was secretly relieved that the decision was out of his hands and that this was finally over. He placed a hand on her shoulder, only for it to be roughly shoved off. Demeter stood abruptly, clenching her fists so tightly her nails dug into her skin.

"If you let him take her again, then I will let the Earth _wither_ every day she is gone," she declared slowly, her devastation transforming back into resolve. "If he wants thing back as they were, then _you_ will have things back as they were," she said to Zeus, eyes narrowing. "I don't care if every human on Earth dies in the meantime."

"They won't die." All eyes turned to Persephone again. This time, she did not avoid her mother's gaze. "The mortals won't die," she repeated. "Not in six months. I have watched them harvesting. They have enough stored to survive that long. They may suffer…" she looked into her mother's eyes, trying to will away this callous disregard for human life on her behalf "...but they'll live."

Demeter wanted to collapse into tears at being betrayed not one, not twice, but three times by the very daughter she was trying to save. Instead she stood frozen, mouth open, staring at her beautiful Kore. But she had always felt it, and didn't see it truly until now: Kore had gone, and Persephone had taken her place. And now she would lose her for half her life.

The goddess of the harvest staggered towards Persephone and clutched her in a strangling embrace, determining never to let her go. She hugged her back, resting her head on her mother's shoulder.

The king brothers watched from a distance, daring not to interrupt the moment between mother and daughter. Zeus regarded Persephone with new eyes: Demeter's coveted daughter, Hades' stolen wife, acting on her own accord to settle the battle started over her, the battle she never had any say in before.

Hades, however, swelled with pride: this only proved to him further she was meant to be queen. His impatience to have her back only grew the longer she held her mother.

Demeter finally pulled away, looking to Zeus, and though she hated to do it, looking to Hades, with repentant and pitiful eyes. It was the last thing she could do, and it had to be believable.

"Please don't take her from me tonight, not like this. Give me time to say goodbye to my daughter," she said, her voice cracking. Zeus looked over Demeter to Hades, who gave a short nod.

"She will be in the Underworld for the next six months; it will wait for her another six days." Demeter exhaled a huge sigh of relief; she didn't yet know where, but she and her Kore would be long from here by then, whether her daughter wanted to go or not. Six days was plenty of time for them to disappear beyond any gods' finding, and come what may to the borders between the mortal world and the Underworld.

"And I will stay in the world above with her until she returns." Demeter's eyes snapped up to Hades, her blood running cold. She scrambled to respond.

"Surely the Underworld cannot survive without its king for -"

"If it must survive without its queen, it will survive without its king." Panicked, she looked over to Zeus.

"This is hardly necessary -"

"It is done, Demeter," Zeus answered with finality. "Hades will ensure his wife returns with him as planned, just as he will return her on time in six months." Zeus nodded at Hades, the command just as much to him as it was to her. He looked at Persephone one last time before a sudden flash of lightning took him away, leaving Persephone, her mother, and her husband alone again in the now dark field.

The king of the Underworld looked curiously at his queen while her mother scowled at him. She was truly in her core exhausted from the emotional turmoil in such a short period of time. She took Persephone's hand, leading her away.

"You're welcome to sleep in the field, with the animals," she added with a scoff. Persephone looked over her shoulder as her mother walked her away from him.

Six days.


	6. Chapter 6

Persephone turned over again, frustrated, sleep evading her. Her mother had gone immediately to sleep without saying a word or even looking at her. The day's exchange may have worn out Demeter, but it wound up Persephone. She had more questions than ever, and she wanted to speak to him to understand.

She started to leave her room, but nearly tripped over a nymph sitting on the ground. The young woman yelped with surprise, then jumped up and smiled brightly at her.

"Your mother sent me in case you need anything." Persephone scowled.

"You can tell my _mother_ that I don't need a babysitter," and turned on her heel with a huff. Obviously the nymph wouldn't repeat the message, and she was only doing what she was asked. Persephone sighed, her mind left to turn over what had happened again.

As soon as he'd mentioned fruits of the Underworld, everyone instantly understood the gravity of what they meant except for her. He had offered food to her, just before she left. Was his suggestion a trick to trap her there? If he knew she was coming back, why had he not visited her sooner?

In six days, she would spend half the year there. Truthfully, she was happy to see him again and wished their conversation had not been so short. But in less than a week, she'd have to say goodbye to her mother, her friends, and everything she loved about the world above: thunderstorms, cool gusts of wind, the sun on her back, seas of wildflowers, the full moon.

She was torn, her thoughts warring within her, making her restless. Persephone threw her sheets to the side, determined. She peeked out of her room. It seems she didn't need to hurry; her guard was slouched over with sleep. She crept past her and into the field.

She took a long breath of the cool night air, admiring the deep black of the night sky and the sparkling stars. She would miss vast, open spaces and the feeling of freedom it gave her. But she'd had months of fields and skies, a lifetime even, and hadn't felt free.

She saw the tree she had slept under that day and walked towards it. He could tell it was her coming long before she approached. He heard the rustling at her ankles and felt the hum of her energy in the calm night. He'd recognize it anywhere.

Hades sat so still against the tree, she startled when he turned to look up at her. She stared at him, unsure of where to start..

"I couldn't sleep." He nodded towards the spot next to him. She sat, her shoulder brushing against his. "I figured you wouldn't be asleep either."

"You did?" he asked with surprise. She nodded.

"You never fell asleep before I did. You were always awake before me too." His fingers twitched at the thought of waking up next to her. She was so close he could feel her breathing.

A long silence stretched wider and wider between them. She didn't know what to pick out of the maelstrom of thoughts brewing in her mind. Meanwhile, he was clueless as to where her mind was.

"Did you know what the seeds meant when you ate them?" She looked to his face, but he kept his eyes down.

He hoped she did, meaning the act was a choice to come back to him. Based on the look on her face when he revealed this information today, he feared that wasn't true, and that she unknowingly made a permanent decision.

"I didn't think it meant _nothing_ to eat them but… I didn't know it meant I had to return, no." His chest squeezed with guilt and he looked away from her. His plan had worked, and he would have his queen back. But at what cost?

"Did you know what it meant when you offered them to me?" He looked straight ahead, avoiding her curious eyes on him.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and faced her, trying to brace himself for the consequences of what he'd done.

"I knew it was the only way to undo Zeus' order. I was … afraid you wouldn't choose it, if you knew. I took the choice away from you," he finished bitterly. She stared down at her hands in her lap, considering this.

"You didn't make me eat them, Hades. You only offered. I might not have eaten them…"

"But you _did!_ You did something that will change the rest of your life without knowing it because I was selfish and couldn't risk losing you. I could have let you leave, and now you could decide whether you wanted to return." He moved to stand, but she grabbed his hand, stopping him.

"I _can_ still decide. Everyone acts like I have no say in all of this, but I do."

"Would you have chosen to eat them if you knew?"

It was the question he didn't want to hear the answer to, yet the words tumbled out of his mouth anyway. He had fallen prey to his own morbid curiosity, and now he'd have to face the reality that his wife really was his prisoner. His eyes stayed on her face like a moth to the flame.

Persephone thought back to her time in the Underworld. She thought of the River Styx, of their throne, of the glittering precious stones, of the constant calm. She thought of the rumbling of his voice when he spoke to her, of his fingers interlaced with hers, of his arms around her while she slept, of the weight of his body on top of her, of the way he looked at her. Not once did fields or stars or sun cross her mind.

"Yes."

His face blanched in shock. His body was so tense waiting on her reply he feared his wild hope had caused him to mishear her. Unsure of what to make of his reaction, she offered him a small smile.

"Yes, Hades. I would choose to come back to you."

He ran his fingers along the side of her cheek. Overwhelmed and struggling to find the words, he tilted his head towards her and carefully pressed his lips against hers. She felt her skin heat up at his gentle touch as he captured her full bottom lip between his. After months without him, his kiss was all it took to inflame her.

She kissed him back, wanting more, her hunger reignited by this teasing taste of affection he was giving her. His fingertips grazed across her cheek and down her neck, causing her to shiver. Their sweet, chaste touch changed as she pressed harder and more urgently against him. He needed more than just her lips: he wanted all of her.

She pulled away with a sigh, leaning her forehead against his with a resigned smile.

"Something you'll learn over the next few days: I'm never alone." He tilted his head in confusion until he heard an urgent whisper hiss across the field.

"Lady Kore! Are you there?" Persephone began to rise, but he grabbed her wrist.

"I'm sure I can convince her to leave us."

"You don't know my mother. I shudder to think what she'll do to her if they wake to find me missing."

"After today, I think I do know." She jumped up, brushing off her skirts.

"I'm sure we'll survive a little longer to spare the poor girl."

"You are far more selfless than I am." She planted a kiss on his hand as he reluctantly released her.

"Goodnight, Persephone." She smiled at him with a hint of excitement before skipping off.

"I'll see you in the morning."

Six mornings and six nights with the Goddess of Spring in her realm. He could wait a little longer.


	7. Chapter 7

Upon waking, Demeter had less than a minute of blissful, sleepy ignorance before a heavy sense of dread dropped like a weight in her stomach. The previous evening's happenings rushed back to her, and she recoiled to be reminded she'd have to return her sweet Kore to the god of the dead.

Her long battle to get her back had been foiled by this unseen loophole, by the Unseen One himself. And, she thought with despair, by Persephone's revelations to the group last night. Demeter's brief hope of disappearing with her before they could take her was almost immediately squashed by Hades' insistence on staying. But her own daughter pointing out the weakness in her plan to starve the Earth again also ruined it. It was a betrayal that she feared, in the back of her mind, meant Kore was not unwilling to return to him.

She wondered if the six days Zeus has given them was more of a blessing or a curse. It was time to say goodbye, to somehow come to terms with the painful, inevitable fact that she must part with her daughter. But now she must also be forced to see them together, to see him leering at her, to see all things she feared become reality in front of her.

As if the universe were intent on adding insult to injury, Demeter left her room only to see Kore walking through the field with Hades following close behind her. She expected him to keep his word, but this stalking after her every step was too much.

"Is it not enough to steal her away six months of the year, Hades?" Demeter demanded, her weariness bubbling back into anger. "Now you have to darken her last days in the light as well?"

"Mother, I asked him to accompany me," Persephone defended gently. "I want to show him the crops and how the mortals harvest." Demeter stared blankly at this girl who was being more and more a stranger to her.

"So he knows how important our work on Earth is?" Persephone prompted. "So he'll know why he must return me on time?"

Demeter was rendered speechless; she certainly couldn't disagree, her anger suddenly halted in its tracks. She was begrudgingly impressed by her daughter's initiative.

"Then let me know the _moment_ you are finished," she said with a sigh to Persephone. "I will send one of the nymphs to follow."

Before she could protest, Demeter turned away and left, wanting to be with Kore but not wanting to continue to watch this exhausting nightmare. Persephone gave Hades an apologetic smile.

"I know it doesn't seem like it, but I think she's mostly just sad," Persephone admitted.

"I understand," Hades replied as they continued towards the barley. "The day you left was … difficult for me, to say the least." She stopped, looking up at him.

"It was?"

"Every day you were gone was harder than the last. But I had hope, knowing I would see you again. Your mother will find solace in this hope too, knowing you'll return to her."

The goddess of the flower's heart swelled. Not only had he confessed how much he had missed her, but he alleviated some of her guilt about leaving her mother. She thought back on a cool summer night months ago.

Nearby, the same night was now on Demeter's mind. She heard Kore wake with a gasp, followed by soft crying. Alarmed, Demeter went to see what was wrong.

"I don't want to talk about it," she'd said quietly. Her mother sat next to her on the bed, but Kore turned away, curling into a ball in her sheets. Demeter's brow furrowed with concern. Kore told her everything.

"Sweetheart, it always makes you feel better to talk about things. What is it?" she pressed gently. Kore sniffled, trying to suppress a sob.

"You'll be upset if I tell you," she replied, her voice breaking. Demeter stroked her hair, feeling saddened and helpless that she wouldn't let her console her.

"I'm your mother, Kore. You can tell me anything. I won't be upset," she promised. Persephone hesitated, unsure, and took in a shaky breath.

"I miss him, mama," she whispered, fresh tears spilling over her eyes.

Demeter's hand froze, and Persephone held her breath. The thought of Persephone _missing_ that frightful man after what he'd done to her made her blood run cold. It made her wonder what kind of emotional manipulation he must have had over her, for her to be free of him and still want him. The thought made her sick, but she willed herself not to let it show.

She continued to stroke Kore's hair reassuringly in silence until she cried herself to sleep. The next morning neither of them mentioned it or ever brought it up again.

Demeter thought of it now, afraid whatever hold he had on her was tighter than she thought. Persephone thought of it now, remembering how much she had missed him, as much as she tried to repress it. She smiled and held her hand out to Hades: he took it and let her lead him on.

Demeter insisted on spending as much time with her as possible without him around, but inevitably Kore wandered back out to him. She showed him her favorite flowers, the nearby ponds and rivers, talking with him about anything and everything as he quietly listened. She always came back seeming pleased, humming to herself, souring her mother's mood further.

When Demeter tired of seeing them together, she would send one of her loyal nymphs to follow them. They would always trail far behind them, afraid of the dark man they'd heard hushed stories about. Once Persephone was finally alone at the river to get a drink, a gaggle of girls suddenly approached her, peppering her with questions.

"How are you, Lady Kore?" one asked, skipping up to her.

"Are you sad to be leaving so soon?" another asked.

"Will you miss us?" one said, taking her hand.

"What is he like?" one whispered, hoping not to be overheard by Demeter. She smiled to herself; their curiosity was stronger than their fear. She looked across the water over at him.

Of course they were curious: he stood out so plainly in the world above. He was pale and fair, while their skin was golden and bronze. He had short, dark hair compared to their long, sun highlighted tresses. His narrow frame towered above them, calm, quiet, and still amidst their chatter and gossip. They averted their gaze whenever his eyes met theirs, the intensity unnerving them.

Her heart raced every time she saw him. He was familiar, yet looked so alien in this land she had known all her life. His dark, regal attire stood stark against the golden fields of wheat, the light blue skies, and the pastel flowers. Here, she had always been Kore, the goddess of the flowers. In their brief time in the Underworld, she was Persephone, his queen. There was never any overlap.

Here, her two worlds collided. It was a thrill for her to see his hair tousled by the wind, how light his blue eyes were when they caught the sun, the glisten of sweat on his skin. He was the same man she knew, but she was seeing him with new eyes.

When evening came, Demeter finally stopped fussing over her and retired. Persephone returned to her room, nymph following behind. Not long later she found Hades in the field, squinting in the darkness to see him.

She sighed when he embraced her, resting her head on his shoulder. Despite what most would think, his hugs for her were warm and reassuring. She felt small and safe when he held her.

"How long do you think we have before your guard finds us?" he asked her.

"Probably not until morning," she answered, looking up at him with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "There might have been a few extra herbs added to her tea." He raised an eyebrow.

"I see I've been a bad influence on you already," he said, squeezing her tighter. "But I'm glad I have you to myself now. I think this has been the longest day of my life." He leaned down to her face, slowly kissing her soft lips.

"You don't have to be alone to kiss me," she said with a giggle.

"I do if I don't want an audience," he countered. The last thing he wanted was to have a moment with her interrupted by Demeter's watchful eye and quick temper.

"They won't do anything, you know," Persephone told him. "The nymphs. They'd be too afraid to stop you and too afraid to tell my mother," she added.

"They have far more to fear from her than I." She shivered as he kissed along her collarbone and up the side of her neck.

"Also, they would never admit it, but I think most of them are a bit infatuated with you." He scoffed.

"I'm serious! I've grown up with them all my life. They won't say it to me, but I can tell by the way they look at you that they think you're attractive. They're not wrong," she added, running a hand through his hair. He smiled, loving her informal touch.

"You're a king. They know you're important. And powerful. They're intimidated, but they're impressed."

"You seem rather unaffected by all this supposed attention," he noted, planting kisses up her jaw.

"That's because they can't have you." He stopped, looking her in the eye. "I'm not jealous because you're mine."

Her confidence and her claim on him was enough to push him over the edge. He had been dying to have her since the night before – since she had left, months ago – and this time, no one would stop them.

He tilted her chin up to make her gaze meet his.

"And now you're mine."


	8. Chapter 8

In almost every way, Hades was not the person everyone painted him to be. He was imagined to be a cruel, sadistic man who relished in the death of others. The Underworld was supposed to be a dark, damp cave under the ground, the river Styx overflowing with the rotting corpses of the dead.

Persephone had found none of those things to be true in her short time there. Hades was dutiful and thoughtful in his role hosting mortal souls. He was firm but fair, and had more regality about him than both his self indulgent, lecherous brothers combined.

Now, however, he looked every part the fearsome God the Dead. His cool, collected manner was gone as he grabbed at her body, his teeth scratching across her lips and neck as he roughly kissed her. He took her face in his hands, his eyes clouded with lust.

She thrilled at the desire clear on his face, his want sparking her own. Persephone perched up on her tiptoes, sliding her hands around his neck. He leaned down to meet her, his hands venturing down her backside and the backs of her thighs. He long fingers brushed against her skin as he abruptly grabbed the hem of her dress, pulling it up her waist then over her head. He tossed to the side, the dress fluttering to the ground.

Persephone stood still before him, nothing but moonlight on her skin. He looked down at her; dark, driven, dangerous. His pupils were wide, eyeing her as if he planned to devour her. She stared back at her husband, her lover, her king, unflinching and unashamed. She tingled with anticipation in this silent, erotic exchange.

Her hands on his body as she fumbled at his clothes broke him out of his stupor and back into the frenzy. In no time he helped her rid himself of all his clothes, a haphazard heap on the ground. Before she could take in his full form, he scooped her up in his arms, causing her to yelp in surprise. He kneeled and lay her body in the dirt.

Hades briefly stopped to admire his wife before him. He had never imagined he would have her outside of their quarters in the Underworld, tangled in bedsheets and darkness. Now she was in her own realm, outdoors, completely naked before him, looking up at him with wide, expectant eyes. She trusted him with her body, and it endeared and aroused him even more to her.

Simply looking at her was fast becoming too much to take after months without her. He wanted all of her at the same time: his tongue in her mouth, her breasts in his hands, his hardness within her over and over again. He found himself overwhelmed at the sensory overload of her waiting body.

Persephone ran her fingers into his hair as he put his body on top of hers. She eagerly explored him, her hands flat across his shoulders, his back, down the sides of his narrow torso, and to his waist. He hissed as her fingers trailed down the inside his hips towards his groin.

He fit his body over hers, the tip of his arousal pressing lightly between her parted legs. She gasped, the cool night air on her most sensitive area causing her to tremble. Every nerve in her body was on alert, her back arched towards him, dying to have him close the gap. He grabbed her hands, pinning them above her head and lacing his fingers in hers.

In that moment, as Persephone lay stretched out on the Earth, the universe and its order reversed. The world above was beneath her, dirt pressed under her arms, her shoulders, her back, her feet, and between her toes. The Underworld was above her: his fingers tightly entwined with hers, his narrow torso and bony hips pressed hard against her soft skin and full, thick curves, her legs parted at each side of his waist.

She shuddered as him warm body flushed her skin, prickling from the cool night air. Hades looked his queen in the eyes as he finally, slowly pushed his hardness within her, her body stretching open to receive him.

Persephone sang out a ragged, relieved groan as his length filled her, clinging more tightly to his fingers. She parted her legs wider to receive him more deeply, causing him to grit his teeth in concentration. Between her warm wetness clenching at him and her soft cries of pleasure urging him on, this would be over too soon if he didn't focus.

She whined as his pulled himself slowly out of her, then pushed in again, pressing his lips against her neck, kissing a trail up to her ears. Her skin felt sensitive, electrified everywhere he touched her. He loved tasting her and relished her responses to him.

Mating out in the open like this, in the wide open field with the night sky above them, Persephone felt vulnerable and exposed; the cool air blowing across their naked bodies, her arms pinned above her, her legs spread wide for him. But she also primal and powerful, fulfilling this most basic of physical desires directly on the Earth, no barriers between them.

Hades began to speed up the rhythm, in and out, giving in to his own increasing need for release. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, feeling dizzy and giving into it, as if the world were spinning her upside down.

When she opened her eyes, her heady gaze landed on his face as he grunted with each push, taking his pleasure upon her. But instead of darkness behind him, she was shocked to see something strangely familiar. Ten feet above - no, below - them was their bed in the underworld. She stretched her limbs to feel the surface beneath her. Instead of the soft give of the dirt, it was flat and hard.

Dizziness overcame her again as she gasped, the realization hitting her: they were making love on the ceiling of their bedroom in the underworld.

Hades thrust hard into her, breaking her focus. Her eyes squeezed shut as she cried out, her toes curling in the dirt. When she opened her eyes, the night sky was above him again. It was as he had said: the line between the Underworld and the Earth blurred in her absence, and she was that blur, the balance between the two.

As Hades' continued to push in and out of her wet warmth, Persephone's cries become shorter, higher, closer together. Knowing this was a sign she was close to orgasm, he thrust long, hard strokes into her, trying to push her over the edge. His forehead beaded with sweat as his determined to last until she finished. He buried his face in her neck, the sight of pleasure on her face too much for him.

Persephone squirmed, his disheveled hair tickling her skin. He held her steady, arms still held above her head, his ragged panting warm against her ears. So close to the end, she felt truly connected to the Earth and the Underworld, with just one thing one missing.

"Hades," she said, wanting to see his face. "My … my king…" He pulled up to look her in the eyes.

"My queen," he whispered. "Persephone … come to me my love, come to me..."

All at once her back arched, her legs tensed, and she clenched around him, finishing with a loud, sharp cry. Her pulsing around him and her shout of pleasure put him over the edge, tumbling after her with a groan.

They lay there together, panting to catch their breaths. He released her hands and let his weight fall on her, resting his forehead on hers. She reached around him with shaky arms, embracing him. Finally he pulled apart and lay next to her on his back, staring up at the stars.

"That was…" Persephone started, but finding herself at a loss to articulate it. "It was…just..."

"There are no words," he finished for her, taking her hand. He didn't know how he'd lived without her these past months, or how he'd survive without her every six months she'd be forced to leave him.

She felt sleep coming heavy towards her, her body exhausted. She reluctantly stood, finding her dress and pulling it over her head. He watched her sadly, not wanting the night to be over.

"Come," she said, tossing his clothes over to him. "I have a better place we can sleep." He stood and began dressing.

"You aren't worried about being seen?"

"Well _I_ can be seen. As long as they don't see you." When he finished straightening his clothes, she held her hand out to him. He placed the helmet over his head and took her hand, her invisible companion through the field.

When they approached her room, he released her, instead placing his hand on her back to avoid suspicion. She led them past the guarding nymph, deep in sleep, into her room. She crawled into bed and he followed suit, still unseen, fitting himself into her arms next to him. Persephone leaned up to kiss where she thought his face was, but was instead met with the cold metal of his helmet, squeaking in surprise. Hades pulled off the helmet, appearing next to her with a smile.

"You owe me a kiss," she insisted with a yawn. He kissed her forehead, then her nose, then her lips.

"Consider me forever in your debt, my queen." Minutes later they were both gone, lost to deep, sated sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Persephone woke as the sunlight crept across her face, wondering if the night before was the best sleep she'd ever gotten. It wasn't the first time she'd slept in his arms, but after months away from him and all the time spent sneaking around, it was long overdue.

She blinked her eyes open and looked at the empty sheets on the bed next to her. She sighed, stretching her limbs out, her hand connecting to something with a dull thud. She gasped, pulling her hand back as the sheets shifted.

"Should I expect you to punch me in the neck every morning?" Hades whispered, lying invisible next to her.

"Why do you keep doing that?" she whispered back, reaching blindly for him, her fingers brushing clumsily across his face.

"I heard her wake outside. I didn't want to risk being seen." She turned her body towards him, finding his shoulder and pressing her palm against him.

"A big scary king, afraid of one little nymph?" she teased as their whispered conversation continued. Hades appeared before her.

"Big, scary, king?" She pressed her lips together, trying to suppress a smile.

"The scariest."

He disappeared from her sight.

"Come back!" she whined, reaching for him again. He put his left arm across her torso and lay his head on her shoulder.

"The longer I'm invisible, the longer I can stay. In case someone comes in."

"You should probably get rid of this then," she said, pulling the sheets off of him, so there wasn't a shape in the sheets.

"I think yours can go too," he said, pulling the sheets off her her, "to avoid suspicion."

"Suspicion?" she challenged, though she certainly wasn't opposed to removing a layer between them.

"Of course," he whispered, his breath hot on her skin. "What would this look like?" He left his hand wander down across the front of her body. She flinched and giggled.

"Shh," he reminded her, hearing the nymph stir outside. She took a deep breath and settled, letting his hand wander up and down her side.

As much as Hades was ready to have his wife back as the queen of his realm, he would miss mornings like this. Her hair a mess, her limbs askew, her gaze soft from sleep, all illuminated by the sunlight. She was lovely anywhere, and she brought light with her to the Underworld. But when the sun shone on her, her raw, natural beauty was radiant.

He quickly lost track of such thoughts as his hands explored over her dress, relishing the feel of her curves under his touch. He lingered over her breast, taking its fullness into his palm. She wriggled beneath him as his thumb brushed across her nipple, pressing tight against the fabric. He flattened his palm, his long fingers venturing across her stomach, down her hip to inside her thigh, back up across her stomach, then back down to her other thigh.

"Stop teasing," she complained with a whisper, wanting him to satisfy the growing tingling between her legs.

"Patience," he cooed, taking her left leg and propping it over his leg. His hand slid down her knee back inside her thigh, lingering there before finally brushing the soft material of her dress over her sex.

She sighed in satisfaction, arching towards him. His fingers stroked her slowly, top to bottom, over and over again. Persephone's breathing quickened, loving his languorous touch but wanting him to press harder against her.

Persephone frowned when he moved his hand away and traced across her leg. He carefully took the end of her dress and pulled it up above her knees, a cool rush of air between her parted legs.

"What if someone comes in?" she asked, feeling exposed.

"I'm a big scary king," he reminded her, putting his hand back between her legs. She quickly forgot to be embarrassed when his fingers made contact with her most delicate skin.

Internally, Hades cursed. She was already wet, his fingers gliding easily over her lips. He worked over her slick folds with his hands while he watched her face, transfixed at the arousal clear on her face. Normally vocal and expressive, she struggled to keep quiet, squirming beneath him with. Short, staccato ah's passed her lips as it quickly became too much for her.

"Easy," he said gently, nuzzling against her shoulder and taking his hand away to give her a moment to catch her breath. He brought his hand up to her face, brushing his fingers across her lips, still covered in her essence. She took his fingers in her mouth with a mischievous smile.

Hades inhaled sharply: this was quickly getting out of his control. He pulled his hand away rougher than he intended and placed his now damp fingers over her entranced and hovered there. Eager, she pushed on his hand with her own, urging him on. Not needing much more encouragement, Hades pushed his index and middle finger into her.

Persephone's grip on his hand tightened as she threw her head back. She hummed in satisfaction, clenching around his fingers. He loved that she trusted him like this with her body: vulnerable, exposed, at his mercy. He took masculine satisfaction knowing every expression on her face directly correlated to pulling his fingers in and out of her, getting a reaction out of even the smallest of movements. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her lips parted, taking quick, shallow breaths in an effort to stop herself.

"Hades," she rasped, feeling climax coming closer and closer. "I need you to..."

"I know," he murmured against her skin. "I know." Continuing with his fingers within her, her stroked her bud with his thumb. She grasped at the bed sheets beneath her, her toes curled tightly. She bit her lip so hard she thought it might bleed, her cry muffled by her closed mouth.

Nearby, Demeter was awake, and something seemed wrong. She watched the nymph outside of Kore's room skeptically. She looked awfully well rested for someone who was keeping watch all night. Demeter walked up to her, ignoring her greeting and pushing past her into Persephone's room.

"Kore?" Demeter called out and she burst through the door. Persephone jerked upwards in bed immediately, startling her mother.

"Yes?" she answered, looking disoriented. Demeter eyed her: dress bunched at her thighs, sheets wrinkled and cast off to either side of her, sweat beading her forehead, hair wild and matted to her neck.

"Are you alright dear?" Persephone squinted at her, trying to come back to reality.

"Yes?" Demeter didn't seem convinced. "Mother, is everything okay?"

"Oh, I…" she stammered, now the one struggling to come up with answers. "I just wanted to know if you were awake. I'll give you a chance to get up." Persephone nodded, her mother leaving her.

After a few beats passed, Hades squeezed her, chuckling lowly. She fell back against the bed.

"That was too close!" Persephone insisted, elbowing him in the side.

"Perhaps now you see why I choose to be invisible?"


	10. Chapter 10

As their last remaining days on Earth passed, Hades noticed that while Persephone seemed to becoming quietly excited to return, Demeter was becoming more and more cold and distant. For the most part, he avoided Demeter as much as he could, but he could tell it made Persephone unhappy. She would never ask that they reconcile because she knew how impossible that ask would be. He sensed that Persephone wished she didn't have to be torn between the two of them.

With only two more days ahead of them, Hades approached Demeter one morning while Persephone slept. Uncomfortable as it may be, he was willing to try to make peace with her to make his wife happy. If it failed, it wouldn't be for his lack of trying.

"Demeter?" she could feel her shoulders tense at just the sound of his voice. She turned towards him, giving him a dark glare. "Can I speak with you?" She eyed him warily; he rarely came around her if not accompanied by Kore.

"If you must," she huffed, admittedly curious as to what he could possibly have to say to her.

"I was hoping we could find ourselves on … friendlier terms." She gave him an incredulous look. "For Persephone," he added. She scrunched her nose at his use of that name. Before him, she was still her Kore, still a maiden.

"She asked you to do this?" Demeter asked, askance.

"No," he admitted. "But I can tell it makes her uncomfortable-"

"Well of course!" Demeter interrupted loudly. "You've known her for so long, you know what's best for her without even having to ask!" she went on, voice thick with sarcasm. "That must be why you kidnapped her - surely _you_ know what she wants without needing her word! Or her _consent_!"

Hades flinched at her words. He knew he'd have to answer for how he'd done this eventually. He had reconciled them with Persephone, but feared he'd never be able to appeal to her mother.

"Demeter, I-"

"If you're looking to ease your guilt, look elsewhere Hades," she said, turning away from him. "I'll be too busy spending time with my only daughter before she's taken from me again."

"I just want us to come to some kind of understanding so she doesn't feel torn between us. All I want is for her to be happy." She spun on her heel.

"And whose fault is it that she's "torn between us"? If you wanted her to be happy, you wouldn't have condemned her to the Underworld for the rest of time," she spat at him.

"Are you saying you would have given her the choice? To let me, or any man, court her and let her decide for herself?"

"How I raise my daughter is _none_ of your business," she fired back. "You have no idea what it was like for us."

"I don't pretend to know either," he replied gently. He didn't want this to be about shifting blame. "Demeter, I'm sorry for abducting her. I'm sorry for how I took her from you. As her mother, I can't possibly imagine how you must have felt."

Demeter stared wide eyed at the God of the Dead. It was an apology she never thought she'd hear. Now that she did, she didn't know what to make of it.

"I wish things could be different," he continued. Hades thought of the past few days with Persephone in the world above. "I wish … I could be with her here on Earth. That I could be a husband to her without making her leave behind the sun, the flowers, her friends, her life here with you." Demeter listened silently, shocked to hear such things from a god who was the king of his own realm.

"As much as I wish that were true, it was not the lot I was cast. I can't give her the sun, but I can give her a kingdom. She is a queen and my equal, the wealth of the Earth hers." When she said nothing, he continued. "I think I understand why you kept her from Olympus all these years. I assure you Demeter, she is protected with me." Demeter finally found her voice.

"Protected from everyone but you," she retorted. "I'd hardly call taking her away from the only life she's ever known protection. Just because you were stuck with that fate didn't meant you had to condemn her to it."

"I would _never_ hurt her," he insisted.

"Have you ever considered that taking her away half the year will hurt her? That when this honeymoon period ends and the novelty of being with your wears off, she'll realize what a grave mistake this is? That she'll be forced to come to terms with it every year when she must leave?" Hades opened his mouth to respond, but she went on relentlessly.

"Did you _once_ consider that you are depriving her from being the goddess of the flowers? The role she has known her whole life?" Hades sighed; she had started and showed no signs of stopping. "That someone like her does not _belong_ in the Underworld? That she -"

"I'm in love with her." She was still, caught off guard, before quickly collecting herself.

"You may have used that word to trick her, but it will not work on me," she scoffed.

"I haven't told her," he replied quietly. "I didn't want to overwhelm her. I want her to express her feelings on her own terms." Demeter hated to admit this was more consideration than she expected from him.

"Everyone who meets Persephone loves her," she dismissed. "And lusting after her because she is beautiful is not the same as love. Your selfish desire to have her does not justify what you've done to her."

"I know it doesn't, and there's nothing I can do to take back what's been done. But I do love her. Please, if you believe nothing else-"

"You hardly know her," she dismissed. "If you really love her, what is she like?"

Hades looked down, struggling to find the words. She tilted her chin up in victory. He took a deep breath.

"She's … kind. Truly kind, without being so just for the sake of manners, which is rare. And generous, without expecting anything in return. She's curious, trusting, and sees the best in people, even when they don't see it themselves." He smiled. "She's affectionate and whimsical and … and so _stubborn_ when she wants to be!"

Demeter watched Hades go on, struck by his vulnerability. It was one of the few times in her life she heard someone else describe her daughter with the same reverence that she would.

"I know I could not possibly know her as you would. You're her mother who has known her for her whole life. But I _want_ to know. I want to know everything about her. I look forward to everyday with her and knowing her more deeply. Every new thing I learn has made me love her more."

She struggled to keep her cold composure. She had never envisioned marriage for Kore, but if she had, she would have wanted such a man to have this kind of devotion to her daughter. The last thing she expected was for it to come from her daughter's abductor, the God the Dead, the one who was taking her away.

Hades took a step towards her. "You don't have to like me, Demeter. You can despise me, if you want, and I wouldn't blame you. I just want her to be happy, especially in her last few days here. Can we put aside any open animosity towards each other, just for her sake?"

Demeter eyed him skeptically, gave him a curt nod, and walked away.


	11. Chapter 11

With so little time left before Persephone's departure, Demeter felt the hope of stopping her slowly slipping away. She was exhausted from trying to keep watch on them at all hours and unsettled by the affection her daughter showed to the God of the Dead. She began leaving the task of watching them more and more to the nymphs, who she hardly trusted to protect her daughter.

One afternoon the job was given to a nymph new to the area, a very young woman. She often openly stared at the two of them, baffled by the odd couple. Persephone skipped gracefully alongside Hades' awkward, long steps, chattering away as he listened in silence. She wore short, flowing dresses, her bronze skin glowing in the sun while his pale body was covered head to toe in the dark, heavy robes of a king. She was constantly in motion next to his stern stillness.

Most perplexing of all was how they touched. They were like heavenly bodies orbiting each other, contrasting forces of nature colliding. She would take his hand unprompted with a shining smile. He would place his hand on her lower back, guiding her forward as they walked. She would tug on his clothes to bring him closer to her when she craved his embrace. He would take her face in his hands, slow and careful as he brought his mouth to hers.

The timid nymph found herself unable to tear her eyes away as Persephone climbed into her husband's lap as if it were her throne, as though she never sat anywhere else. Hades, stiff and frightening to her eyes, let the flower goddess run her fingers through his hair like any love drunk young mortal man tasting the nectar of a woman's love for the first time. To the world he was an unyielding and merciless king, but for her he was vulnerable and tender.

This hazy late afternoon, Hades kissed his wife as if no one were watching, forgetting entirely that often Demeter sent someone to do exactly that. He held Persephone as he kissed across her shoulder, running his nose up her throat and along her jaw. The wide-eyed nymph watched as Persephone shivered, a sigh of pleasure rolling past her lips.

She flushed red and finally looked away when Persephone crawled off his lap and positioned herself between his knees, pushing away his clothing from his legs. She had never seen such intimate interactions between a man and a woman and had certainly never partaken in them herself. Flustered, she walked away, feeling more acutely than ever that she was intruding on a private moment.

Meanwhile, Helios decided it could be a cloudy, sunless sunset this day. He was already the one who had the misfortune of telling Demeter that Persephone had been taken to the Underworld. He certainly didn't want to be the one who had to tell her he had seen her precious daughter on her knees in front of her abductor.

Hades groaned as her lips encircled him, taking his length in and out her mouth. He was shocked and pleased that she decided to oblige the lascivious suggestion. He forgot entirely that they were outside in the open; as their days on Earth passed, they had become bolder with their displays of affection. She was willing, and he could only keep his hands off of her for so long.

He carefully thread his fingers into her hair, his hand trailing down the side of her cheek, running his fingertips under her chin. She shivered and took his touch as encouragement, taking him deeper into her mouth and into her throat, grasping him at the base. He was quiet, keeping his pleasure to heavy breathing and muttering under his breath, but she could tell he was close to the edge. His fingers clenched, shaky in her hair.

Persephone pulled her mouth away and released him, giving him a mischievous smile before standing and dusting off her skirts. He watched his confusion as she smoothly brushed past him and the tree he was leaning against. He scrambled to his feet and went after her, grabbing her wrist.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to go check on my roses," she answered, feigning ignorance to the situation she'd left him in. She turned to go but he tightened his grip on her wrist. She smirked. "You just wanted me to taste, right? I think I can say I've gotten more than a taste of you."

Hades took a step forward, looming over her, hunger dark in his eyes. "Maybe I'm not finished with you yet."

She stood her ground, looking up at him with challenge in her eyes. "You're in my world now, remember?"

He abruptly pulled her towards him, her back pressed against his front. He leaned into her neck.

"Is that was you think?" he asked lowly, causing her to shrug towards him, his breath tickling her skin. "That when you control my every move in my own kingdom, the realm named for me, that I'll bend to your every whim in the world above too?" Persephone smiled, aroused from this game they were playing.

"Yes."

Hades pushed the goddess of flowers against the nearby tree, placing both her hands on low branches, his lips still at her ear.

"We'll see who bends now, won't we?"

In a hurried, imprecise flurry of movement, Hades adjusted his clothes and pushed Persephone to lean forward, pulling her dress up to her waist. With no preamble whatsoever, he guided his still hard member to her entrance and thrust himself inside her.

Persephone let out a guttural, full-throated scream, stumbling forward and grasping tightly to the branches to catch herself. He held her hips steady, staying still within her to try to calm her and relishing the feeling at her warmth clenching around him.

Not far away, their new nymph companion jumped, startled out of her daydreaming. Heart racing with a building sense of dread, she followed the source of the sound. Surely that could not be Kore's scream, could it?

Meanwhile Hades kept up a merciless rhythm, chasing down the growing want she'd denied him. Each lunge pulled a short cry out of her, her toes curling tightly in the dirt as she held onto the tree branches for support. He grunted as he pushed hard into her, sweat beading on his forehead as he got closer and closer, taking his pleasure from her tight channel. He slid his hand up her back, tugging at her long, wild hair to bring her head closer to him, murmuring suggestive encouragements in her ear.

He could tell the combination of roughly driving into her and gently touching her was bringing her towards her own orgasm. Her legs trembled to hold her up, her hands wrapped so tightly around the branches they might splinter. Since he had known her intimately, he had always been careful and delicate with her. She thrilled at this new dynamic between them, his willingness to play along exciting her.

The nymph peeked over the bushes to find the source of the breathy, rhythmic noises. Upon seeing the site she stumbled back, hardly believing her eyes. The God of the Dead had Kore bent over in front of tree, panting and wincing as he took her from behind.

Persephone whined as Hades pulled most of the way out of her and held there. He brushed her hair to the side so he could speak directly into her ear.

"Was that enough of a taste for you, Persephone?" She gasped to catch her breath, throat already hoarse, struggling to respond.

"Hades please…" she whimpered, shaking in anticipation.

He leaned over her, placing his hands on top of hers, pushing back up into her, hard. She let out a piercing cry, and his hand flew up to cover her mouth to muffle the sound.

As Hades loudly grunted his completion, his wife teetering over the edge of pain and pleasure and back, the terrified nymph tore through the grass, sprinting towards Demeter.


	12. Chapter 12

Demeter sat in the sun, lazily fanning herself with her eyes closed. She hoped the mortals were enjoying these last few days of a favorable weather, since denying the Earth seemed to be the only thing she could do in protest of her daughter's absence. She tried pushing the thought from her mind, but it always managed to creep its way back in.

As if on cue, Demeter's calm meditation was broken by distant shouting. She opened her eyes to see Lily, the young nymph, sprinting towards her. When she finally approached she nearly stumbled over her own skirts, panting so hard her blubbering attempts to talk failed.

"What is it?" she demanded, annoyed and unnerved by her antics. Lily tried to take a deep breath, heart racing, knowing every second counted.

"He's hurting her!" she finally wailed. Demeter leapt to her feet, her eyes hard.

"He's _what?!_ " Lily jumped back, frightened by the intensity of her response.

"He was h-hurting her w-with his…" Her face crumbled, eyes watering, too distraught to finish. Before she could even look up, Demeter had shoved past her. She struggled to keep up, running after her.

Meanwhile, Hades wrapped his arms around Persephone's waist, rocking slightly side to side. They had fixed their clothes and caught their breath, but he still stood behind her, resting his chin on the top of her head. As loud as they had been at the end, he was surprised they hadn't been discovered. After a few minutes of quiet, she started to walk forward out of his embrace.

"You know I think I will go check on my roses now…" Hades smiled and tightened his grip on her, pulling her back against him.

"Kore!" Both their heads both snapped up at the urgency and volume of Demeter's voice. She was running towards them, the young nymph trailing behind.

While Persephone watched with confusion, Hades' agreeable mood immediately faded. He had watched Demeter's anger and despair fade to resigned resentment, but this was fresh fury. The panicked girl behind her didn't bode well either.

Demeter came to an abrupt halt in front of the two of them. From a distance she thought she had seen Hades yank at her, but now in front of them, both of their posture seemed relaxed and warm. Persephone rested her hands on top of his, fingers interlaced, leaning into him. In the face of what seemed like nothing, Demeter suddenly lost her nerve, mentally cursing the frantic nymph who brought her here.

"Are you okay?" Demeter asked her daughter quietly, giving Hades a brief, suspicious glance.

"Yes of course," she answered, looking past her mother at the girl behind her. "Is something wrong?" Demeter scowled at Hades possessive embrace around her.

"Can I speak with you alone?" Persephone stepped out of Hades arms, giving him a quick reassuring smile before following after her mother. Hades looked over at Lily, who immediately looked down and scampered off.

After she was content they were far enough away not to be heard, Demeter turned to Persephone.

"Are you really alright dear? We're alone now, you can tell me," she added gently.

"Yes, I really am," she replied, still bewildered to what she was being asked. "I don't understand what you mean?" Demeter stared directly into her eyes.

"Lily said she found him hurting you."

"He wasn't hurting me, we were just…" Persephone caught herself. Her face flushed with embarrassment, suddenly realizing the misunderstanding. Demeter frowned and looked away. She had always suspected this had happened, but it didn't make hearing her daughter confirm it any easier.

"I know because of this arrangement he is technically your husband but that does not mean it is okay for him to force himself-"

"Mother!" she whined, embarrassed. This was the last conversation she wanted to have with her. "It's not like that, he-"

"No Kore, listen, this is important." Demeter put her hands on Persephone's shoulders, looking her in the eye. "I never expected that you would marry, but I should have had this conversation with you sooner, and I'm sorry I didn't." Demeter closed her eyes in a wince and heaved a heavy sigh.

"Just because a man is your husband does not mean he is entitled to your body or that it is okay for him to force himself on you. All these years I've tried to keep you safe from being exposed to things like this when I should have been teaching you had to defend yourself instead, and now I'm afraid I'm too late." Demeter took a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry if that means you felt you had to do things with him you didn't want to him when you were in the Underworld." Demeter's voice broke, her eyes wet with unshed tears, pulling at her daughter's heartstrings.

"Please don't cry," she insisted, taking her mother in a tight hug. "It's not like that, I promise. He would never do that to me. I even had my own room, he never came in unless I asked him to. Nothing bad happened to me there." Demeter nodded weakly, squeezing her back, but Persephone sensed she didn't believe her. She pulled away, taking her mother's hands.

"He's good to me, mama." A soft smile came across Persephone's face. "He really listens to me and wants me to rule with him. I know this isn't what you wanted, and I know you don't like him but … I think you would if you saw how he treated me."

Demeter was stunned to hear such assertions from Kore. She had bitterly watched Kore's affectionate behavior to Hades these past few days but hadn't asked her why she felt that way, assuming he was manipulating her.

"I know everyone thinks I'm too naive to know any better, but I believe he's kind and a just king. He's thoughtful and fair and was very considerate of me when I was there. I think he cares a lot about me," she continued earnestly. "He wouldn't even kiss me if I didn't let him. So anything that happened there or that Lily might have seen … it was because I wanted it." Persephone blushed, looking down. "I care about him too."

The Goddess of the Harvest felt like a knot deep in her gut has loosened. It didn't make sense to her, but she began to feel that maybe they were not so mismatched after all. This conversation reminded her of Hades' declarations the day before.

"I'm … glad to hear that then, dear." Persephone's eyebrows raised in shock. "It will be miserable here without you, but it's good to know you'll be okay. You know all I want is for you to be safe and happy my sweet girl." Demeter brushed a stray hair from her face. A brilliant smile broke across her face as she embraced her mother again.

"I love you mama," she said as she rested her head against Demeter's shoulder. "Thank you for trying to understand. I'll be safe with him, I promise." She paused, this time speaking more quietly. "He makes me really happy."

More than happy, Persephone thought to herself.


	13. Chapter 13

Lily watched Demeter and Persephone talking from a distance. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but the longer they talked, the more obvious it was that she had misunderstood what she'd seen. As soon as Lily had come back with Demeter and found Hades embracing Persephone, she immediately felt a sinking feeling in her gut. Persephone's confusion reinforced her error even further.

Her worried expression stayed fixed on the mother and daughter. They hugged and looked like they were wrapping up their conversation. Lily's heart raced, wondering who she feared more for this mistake: Demeter, Hades, or Kore. Demeter had been on edge lately and Hades absolutely terrified her, so she chose Kore to plead forgiveness. She had always seen her be nice to nymphs and rarely saw her angry.

"Lady Kore!" Lily ran after Persephone. "Lady Kore, I-" she finally caught up to her and suddenly nerves overcame her. "I'm so sorry I told Demeter, I-I came by, and I thought..."

Persephone felt for the poor girl stammering in front of her. She had only done what she was asked and looked like she was going to burst into tears. She was young, maybe thirteen or fourteen, and had obviously misunderstood what she'd seen.

"It's alright," she assured her with a small smile. "I'm not angry. You did what you thought was right." Before Lily could relax, Hades approached, towering over both of them.

"K-king Hades!" Lily bowed her head, averting her eyes down, afraid to even speak his name. She had heard terrible stories of what he did to people in the Underworld and hoped Persephone would protect her from his wrath; after all, he was the one he had wrongly accused. "I'm so sorry, I d-didn't know and-"

"Please, there is no need," he interrupted, raising a hand to stop her. She flinched, her fear wound so tightly in her body she was shaking. "In fact, I'm glad my wife has such a diligent protector in the world above."

Lily slowly looked up at him with surprise. If anything, Hades was only annoyed that the nymphs referred to him as king but not her as queen. He supposed it was a big change that wouldn't happen all at once.

"You are?" Lily was shocked at Hades' calm, almost friendly demeanor. The way Demeter described him she imagined him a cruel, hot-headed tyrant. He nodded, and she finally relaxed the slightest bit.

"Would you do me a favor?" he asked her. She gave him a confused look. "Six months from now, when my wife returns, will you promise to watch over her then? I might be less likely to worry over her if I know she's protected."

"Okay," Lily agreed, surprised to hear such a doting request.

"We're not angry," Persephone added. "Though I'm sorry if my mother is. I hope we didn't get you in trouble."

"She told me to stay with you to make sure nothing bad happened and I just thought…" her face flushed red with embarrassment, tears in her eyes. "I mean, I didn't know that-"

"It's okay," Persephone, putting a reassuring arm around her shoulder. "My mother didn't tell me anything about sex either." Lily sniffled, relieved she wasn't the only one.

"She didn't? How did you learn?"

"Like you did: one day I came across it. I went running terrified to Demeter too." Lily managed a quiet laugh, her shame subsiding. "Even then, she didn't explain much. I'm sorry you had to see … what you did." Persephone's gaze flickered briefly over Lily's head to her husband. He gave her a wry half smile.

"I understand why you were scared. But you can ask me anything you want, and I promise I'll answer." Lily hesitated. She had questions, a lot of them, but was too embarrassed to ask them all in front of Hades.

"Doesn't it … hurt?" she asked meekly. Persephone felt bad that the only sexual act this girl had seen had been by far the roughest encounter between her and her husband.

"It shouldn't, no." She paused, reconsidering. "It might be uncomfortable the first few times. But if it's with a man who's patient and gentle with you, you'll be okay. And then you'll like it just as much as he does."

"What if I don't find a man like that?" Lily hadn't heard many tales of kind men from fellow nymphs and was surprised to hear a woman could enjoy sex as much as a man.

"You will, don't worry," Persephone said, giving her a encouraging squeeze. "You just have to wait for the right one." She looked up at Hades and smiled.

Hades marveled at his luck. When he took Persephone from the field, he hardly knew her. Watching her comfort Lily, he realized he somehow managed to steal away for his wife the kindest woman he had ever met. Since he kidnapped her he felt he didn't deserve it, but now she was beaming up at him like she cared for him just as much as he cared for her.

Persephone had not grown up hearing many stories speaking kindly of men either, especially not on Olympus and especially not from her mother. In her first nights in the Underworld, she feared he would enter her room and demand sex from her, since he'd said she was now is wife.

When that day never came, she finally ventured out and saw he was more than willing to give her space and eager to do anything that made her more comfortable. After spending the days with him being shown around his realm - their realm, he said - going back to her room at night felt lonely. One night he came by her door to tell her goodnight, and she invited him in. Even then, he was cautious just to enter her room and sit on the bed. She stopped him from leaving, not wanting to sleep alone. Hades was beyond delighted she wanted him there, but afraid one wrong move and it would all be over.

The next night she slept even closer to him, becoming more and more liberal with her touch. Kore had never been so close to a man and she liked being with him. He let her explore him, running her hands across his angles: across his shoulders and his narrow waist, fingers through his hair, tracing the shape of his jaw and the flat of his back. She hesitantly pressed her lips to his, afraid of being rejected, but was immediately reassured by his enthusiastic response.

The third night any fear of rejection was long gone. He frantically kissed her mouth, her neck, her ears, her collarbone, anywhere he could reach as if he couldn't get enough of her fast enough. She locked her limbs around him, arching towards him. Still learning her own body and what it meant to be aroused, she wanted more but didn't know how to ask for it. She excused herself for a moment to try to work up the nerve, causing him to worry he had taken things too far.

This time, she quelled his fear by crawling back into the bed and pressing herself against him. He ran his hand down her back, expecting to feel her dress but his only her feeling smooth body. Normally vocal and articulate, Persephone prayed he would understand what she wanted as she was too shy to say the words. She looked up at him with wide, imploring eyes with a look he would never forget: an invitation, a request.

He removed his own clothing and lay next to her, not wanting to move too quickly, not wanting this moment to be over too soon. With nothing between them he slowly, tentatively touched her, this time exploring her curves. Hades often glanced up at her for her permission, waiting for her to nod before continuing. Reverting back to slow, careful touch inflamed her. Anywhere he wanted to touch, anywhere he wanted to kiss, she allowed. She reached for him, her arousal putting her on edge, anxious to be joined with him.

When he finally shifted on top of her - her legs parted, his length at her entrance, and clinging to him with arms around his neck - he looked up at her for guidance again. Persephone gave him a small smile and nodded, but he could tell now that the moment had come, she was nervous. Instead he leaned down to kiss her and continued until he could feel her relax before slowly pushing in.

For every sound and every slight movement she made, Hades paused until he was sure she wanted to continue. By the end she was pulling at him to be closer, wrapping him tight in her embrace. Afterwards he carefully held her to him, like she was still fragile. The whole time she felt she was in control of what happened, how fast, and for how long. He made her feel safe and wanted.

She understood what Lily meant: there may be a lot of cruel, uncaring, selfish men out there she might have to endure before finding a good man. Hers was the first and only man she had ever been with, and he had found her.

Persephone marveled at her luck.


	14. Chapter 14

It wasn't until Persephone fully woke and sat up and bed that the thought hit her: today was her last full day above. Tomorrow evening she would leave with him and not return for six months. She couldn't sort through what combination of her emotions she was: sad to leave, excited to return, or anxious at the thought of either.

She pondered what she wanted to do, hoping it would be a sunny day for whatever she decided. She landed on sitting by the river. It was early, so the only sound would be the calming bubbling of the water as it moved past. She liked being around people, but enjoyed the quiet of hearing the Earth wake up. However this morning when she approached, she found someone was already there.

Hades stood chest deep in the cool river water, scrubbing at his scalp. An unforeseen result of spending most of his time outdoors the past few days was that he seemed to always have dirt on him. While it shook off his robes easily enough, between the sweat at the heat of the day and the wind turning up dirt and leaves, he felt he had a permanent layer of debris on him.

He was told that the increasing winds were reflecting Demeter's cooling mood at her daughter's departure. He was convinced it was a deliberate attempt to keep him perpetually dirty, a last passive aggressive protest. He wondered how Persephone never seemed dirty despite constantly running around the fields, sitting directly on the ground, and digging through her gardens. It suited her and she always glowed, like she and the outdoors complementing each other.

Hades looked up and startled, briefly believing his thoughts had manifested her before him. Persephone stood not far from the water's edge, watching him. He froze mid-motion, eyes meeting hers. He hadn't expected anyone to be up this early, yet here she was, staring at him as he stood naked in the river.

After a few seconds of initial shock, Persephone casually walked over to the edge and sat down, putting her feet in the water. She smiled at his dumbstruck expression.

"Well don't let me stop you." He walked over, her legs at his eyeline. He looked up at her, wrapping his fingers around one her ankles underwater and kissing her knee. Her leg tingled where his lips touched her.

"Good morning."

"You're up early," she noted.

"Believe it or not, I didn't want everyone to see me like this."

"Really?" she teased, leaning back and looking at his wet shoulders and across his submerged body. "I'm enjoying the view."

"Are you?" he asked, running his hand up her leg in the water.

"Yes. But I'm glad it's a private performance," she added with a wink.

"Performance?" He kissed her other knee, nose running along the inside of her leg. He grabbed at her calves under the water, abruptly pulling her so close to the edge so thought she would fall in. She scrambled to grab onto his head for balance. He parted her knees wider, slowly kissing up along her inner thigh. He reached up to push her skirt up her legs and to her waist, splashing water all over her legs and waist.

"Hades!" she squealed in mock protest. "You're getting me all wet!"

He glanced up at her with a knowing look, the obvious double entendre going unspoken between them. His lips continued their path inward at a slow, teasing pace along the soft skin of her thighs. Just as she thought his lips would finally reach their destination, he switched sides, kissing back toward her knee again.

Persephone threaded her fingers through his scalp, trying to ease his head forward as he made good on the innuendo, his mouth leaving a trail of drops inside her legs. He placed himself just before her entrance and held there, his breath on her sensitive skin causing her to shiver. He finally kissed her, his lips cold and wet against her waiting, wanting body, eliciting a soft cry.

Hades kissed her again and again, feeling her grip in his hair tighten as he continued, this time running his tongue up and down her folds. She groaned, her legs parting wider involuntarily. He pulled the backs of her knees over his shoulders and leaned forward, losing himself in her skin, her scent, her pleasure. Her breathy grunts goaded him on, pushing his tongue inside her, making love to her with his mouth. She released his head and leaned back, arching towards him, wanting more.

Her high, short vocalizations and shaking legs told him she was close. He stopped, but before she could protest, he surged forward, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her into the water with him.

Persephone's shout of surprise was cut short by the splash. She flailed for a moment in the water, the cold water a shock to her system, before surfacing with a splutter. She gaped at Hades who watched her with a smug smile. She rarely saw this playful side of him.

"That wasn't nice," she pouted, swimming over to him.

"You weren't enjoying the performance?" he looked down at her soaked dress clinging to her body, her nipples pressed against the bodice. "I was."

"Well I _was_ until it was cut short. What am I supposed to wear back now?"

"If you're asking my opinion, I don't think you _need_ any clothes at all." He moved over towards her, reaching under the water to help peel the dress off her and tossing it onto land. She smiled up at him with a slight flush in her cheeks, feeling exposed as the sun shone on her in the cool, clear water. Hades wondered again how he managed to have this woman as his.

"Come down here with me," she insisted, tugging at his hands. "You're too tall." What was chest deep water for Hades was too deep for Persephone to stand, causing her to tread next to him. He squatted down to her height.

"Better?"

"Yes." She swam right up to him, planning to put her legs on top of his to prop herself up on his thighs. She opened her mouth to say something else, but only a gasp came out. The tip of his hardened length brushed against her sex underwater, triggering the anticipatory tightness between her legs. She grasped at his shoulders and looked up at him, this becoming too much for her. The dark look of want in his eyes told her should wouldn't have to wait much longer. She loved that look.

Hades held her waist steady as she placed herself over him. She slowly sank onto him with a moan, her eyes closed, her mouth parted. _He_ loved _that_ look. Persephone held still, relishing the way his size felt in her at this angle, the water around them an added layer of thrill.

It was not their first tryst outside, but before it was always either partially clothed or in the cover of night. This time there was nothing hiding them from the sunlight but the clear water, which hardly did that. The water splashed around her shoulders and at his chest, their skin chilled by the air above, the water rolling with every curve and angle of their bodies below.

When he was certain she could balance atop his thighs on her own, Hades took her face with both hands and kissed her, their faces slick, tasting the river on each other. She enthusiastically kissed back, hugging her arms around his neck. He felt like she was everywhere: straddling his waist and taking him within her, torso pressed against his chest, mouth locked on his, arms tight around his neck, her body under his hands. He pulled away and her face was all that was in his vision.

His fingers wandered down her neck and sides back under the water to her hips. He wanted to feel all of her with this new sensation of the water rippling over her, as if discovering her body again for the first time. He ran his hands flat across her stomach, causing her core to tense, before taking her breasts in his hands, his thumb rubbing across the tips.

Persephone leaned her forehead against his, nuzzling against his nose. His hands glided around her and down her back, taking her full backside into his hands and thrusting up into her suddenly. She cried out in startled pleasure at being filled more deeply, tilting her head back. He took the opportunity to lean in and kiss her neck, electrifying her skin down her body, pulling a throaty sigh of a satisfaction from her lips.

One of the many things he loved about her was that she was always her honest, unbridled self when he coupled with her. So many, if not all, of the gods on Olympus seemed to constantly be putting on a facade for someone; pretending to care more than they did to make alliances, pretending to care less for someone than they did to hold their attention. Persephone was not like that: every word, every move, every sound she made was her vulnerable, unashamed response. He loved knowing what pleased her and giving it to her.

Persephone tangled her fingers into his wet hair to try to ground herself, and she looked him in the eyes. Already so wound up, his gaze fixed on her with his hands on her body was nearly enough to finish her then and there. A thought came into her mind, a mischievous smile spreading across her face. She surged forward to kiss him, the force of it knocking them both into the water.

Hades clung tightly to her, losing his footing and falling completely backwards. The water caught them, suspending them into free fall. He opened his eyes underwater to see they were not in the same river they had fallen into. It was an angle not many had seen, but in his core he knew it was true: instead of the sky, he was looking up at Underworld - from beneath the water of the Styx.

He could hardly make sense of it, but sense quickly left his mind as Persephone clenched hard, grinding up against him. Her long hair floated around her face, her hands holding onto him, legs squeezing tighter around his waist. The sensory overload of the water, her body, and the lack of air was too much: he grasped at her, pulling her down towards him, and thrust up hard into her in a harried rhythm until he came inside her. He saw her wince as she dug her nails into his shoulders, a flurry of bubbles escaping her mouth when she finally joined him in completion.

Hades grabbed her and pushed them both up, both gasping loudly for air as they broke the surface. They were back in the world above, sun bright in their eyes, but Hades knew more than ever that the Underworld would have her back if they did not return soon. Persephone laughed incredulously, causing him to break into a smile and kiss her forehead.

She jumped up out of the river, picking up the soaked pile of fabric that was her dress. She wrung it out, but when she held it up, it was still dripping.

"As much as you might like it, I don't think everyone else would appreciate me running through the grass naked, Hades."

"You'd be surprised." He joined her, offering her a layer of his dry clothing that she wrapped around herself in a makeshift wrap dress.

Across the way, Demeter looked up, surprised to hear someone up so early. She saw Hades and Persephone in the distance coming from the river holding hands, laughing, and both with soaked hair. Not seeing her, they eventually came to a stop and sat on the ground, having an animated discussion about something. Demeter wondered what two people so different could be talking about.

After a few minutes, Persephone leaned back and closed her eyes, letting the sun warm her face and dry her hair. Hades lay down, resting his head in her lap while she silently stroked his hair.

Demeter had always worried about how well her daughter was taken care of and how that was affecting her. Watching her dote on him, the powerful and dreaded king of a third of the cosmos, she realized for the first time that perhaps how she was treating him had an event greater impact.


	15. Chapter 15

By the day her daughter's departure came, Demeter was numb. She had managed to keep despair at bay for the past couple days and had determined to keep it together until she was gone. There was no need to taint her last hours with pain: it was the last she would have for half the year. Still, she felt time was racing through her fingers and there was nothing she could do to stop it - or stop him.

The harvest goddess shooed away the nymphs fawning over Kore so she could be alone with her before she left. She was glad Hades had the good sense to leave them this last bit of time alone together. Kore dutifully sat weaving a flower crown most of the afternoon, humming to herself. She said they were to return wearing the crowns of the king and queen of the Underworld so the shades would recognize them. She agreed, but only if she could wear a flower crown with it so they would know her as goddess of the flowers too.

Demeter wanted to cry at the gesture; she was sure Kore was doing it partly if not mostly for her. She was glad that despite taking a liking to Hades, she wasn't willing to abandon her mother and the identity she'd known her whole life. Any time the entire week she began to get emotional, her daughter quickly hugged her, assured her she would be okay, and changed the subject, hating to see anyone suffer. But she also avoided talking about her time in the Underworld as happy or something she was looking forward to, as that was a different way to cause suffering.

Demeter was grateful he didn't insist she leave in the heavy, dark clothes she had been returned in, even if she was not thrilled to see her leave as his queen. She noticed that Kore was weaving two crowns: a smaller one with pink roses, violets, and baby's breath, and a larger one with red and white roses and greenery. When asked about the larger one, she said it was for Hades. Demeter bit her tongue: it was entirely too feminine for a man and there was no significance for him to wear it. There was no chance he would agree to it, but she didn't want her last conversation with her to be negative so she said nothing.

To Demeter's great surprise, Hades did agree to wear it, bowing his head down low to allow her to affix it to his head around his dark crown. She beamed up at him: it clear that his devotion to her was significance enough to adorn a king of the dead in roses.

Though she certainly hadn't wanted an anticlimactic departure, the overly dramatic bawling of some of the nymphs was pushing Demeter to the end of her rope. She was angry at anyone else who had the gall to publicly mourn her daughter more than she did, as if they had any idea what true loss was. The trotting of his dark mares up to them put a black panic in her veins: this was rea and it was happening now.

Persephone approached her with an apologetic, affectionate smile, but her eyes were glassy. She ran up to her, hugging her tightly, her mother squeezing her back so hard she could hardly breathe. Demeter wondered if Hades would physically separate them if she refused to release her. There were so many things she wanted to say to her daughter, all caught in the back of her throat.

"I love you mama," Persephone mumbled into her mother's shoulder. "I'll miss you so much." It was too much, and despite herself, hot tears spilled over Demeter's eyes.

"I'll miss you too Kore. I love you more than life itself." Demeter darkly wished there was some way she could give her own life to keep this from happening, or even to die and make this a permanent farewell. Persephone's gut twisted with guilt, knowing how lonely and empty her mother's life would be while hers would be the opposite. She pulled away, wiping the tears from her own face.

"Will you come visit me?" she asked, hope bright in her eyes. Demeter hesitated. She had no intention of going to that forsaken place and seeing what kind of awful life her daughter had to live, but couldn't bear to disappoint her.

"I'll try sweetheart." Persephone's face lit up. She kissed her mother on the cheek and walked back towards the restless horses. Demeter ran after her but stopped herself, desperately trying to regain her composure. Hades was about to walk past her and he couldn't see her like this. Her hand darted out, tightly grabbing his wrist. He looked down at her, expecting the worst.

"Take care of my girl," she demanded under her breath, releasing his wrist. The hard look in her eyes said the rest. _Or else._

"I will, Demeter. I swear it." The look he gave her in return had no less weight. She believed him.

She took a step back, now wanting more than anything for this nightmare to be over so she could suffer alone. Hades approached Persephone, offering her his hand to help her onto one of the horses. To Persephone's surprise, he had left the chariot in the Underworld so they could return on horseback. Persephone turned to give one last wave before trotting away with him beside her. The sky was lit in brilliant pinks and purples behind her as a farewell, the sun setting on her time above, all light and warmth setting on Demeter. The world turned cold.

Despite their now warm relationship, Persephone's first trip to the Underworld had been no less than an abduction. She was terrified, confused, and sure that even as an immortal, she was being dragged violently towards her death.

This time was a welcoming even though she fidgeted with nerves, not knowing what to expect of this new half of her life. She loved riding horses but almost wished they had taken the chariot so he would be beside her. She followed his horse close behind with him with complete and total trust. This was to be her kingdom too.

The first part of the journey was what people feared: darkness. She could hardly see the outline of him and his horse in front of her. But unlike what people thought, the darkness eventually ended. There was a quiet, a calm, before the soft light of the world below. Mortals, gods even, imagined the Underworld as what they knew of the subterranean Earth: a damp cave, a hole in the dirt, a grave.

Instead, it was wealth. It was not the grandiosity of Olympus, gilded in gold, a shiny shimmer hiding the dirtiness of infidelity, betrayal, and gossip beneath. It was the Earth's true wealth: every treasured resource, every precious stone found in nature. Never before had Persephone seen and truly felt how right that was, how well that suited her, a goddess whose power and beauty came from the ground.

In this peaceful return, her new kingdom amazed her. There was no night sky or stars, but there was dark onyx and glittering diamonds. There were no oceans or seas of roses, but there were waves of sapphires and firey rubies. There were no verdant fields, but there was emerald as far as the eye could see. There was no sun, but there was Hades.

When they finally dismounted, he took her hand, leading her through the ivory halls of her new home. She leaned her head against his arm, reassuring him that all the mistakes he had made to get her here would be worth it. Upon approaching one of the doors, he stopped.

"You can take your old room if you like. Though I think you will find the master bedroom much nicer…" he dared to give her a hopeful look.

"Okay," she agreed with a smile, curious to see it and not willing to sleep alone anyway. He opened the door for her, allowing her to step through. Her jaw dropped.

Despite being powerful goddesses, Demeter and Persephone lived much humbler lives than most gods. Dedicated to the Earth and the mortals, they both gave what it needed and took what they needed from it. Their dwellings were pleasant but simple, their lives primarily outdoors in nature.

Hades' master bedroom was vastly spacious, understated, and elegant. The architecture and furniture were of dramatic angles and high contrast of black and white with low, inviting lighting. It suited him, she thought. Seeing the enormous, luxurious bed, she thought it suited her as well.

"I can have your things brought here," Hades offered, remembering all the fine jewelry and clothing he had for her that was in her old room. "I admit my decision to retrieve you from the world above was … hasty." He hated that the room was to be theirs but had nothing of hers in it.

Persephone didn't hear him. While he was worrying over all her clothes, she had swiftly discarded hers and leapt into the bed, crawling to the middle and pulling the sheets and heavy comforter up her chin. When he turned to notice, he couldn't help but smile at his whimsical queen. She was almost entirely buried in the pillows, a gleeful smile on her face at she sank into the bed, loving the feel of the cool, soft sheets on her bare skin.

"I see you've made a hasty decision as well." She giggled and patted the spot next to her. He walked over to the edge of the bed, pausing before following suit and removing his clothes, acutely aware of her eyes on him as he did. When he was next to her, she immediately cuddled up to him, his body contact warming her. He carefully removed her flower crown and his own before turning back and embracing her.

Never had he thought he would want or ever meet a woman whose shape so perfectly to fit his arms. She knew there was a lot to learn about her new home and her new role, but for now, this felt truly right. He stroked her long hair away from her face and kissed her full lips.

"Welcome home, my queen." She smiled a brilliant smile at him, kissing him back, pressing herself against his warm, hard frame. It wasn't long before he was kissing across her neck, her shoulders, her bust, committing every inch of her to memory with his mouth as her fingers wandered the wide plains of his his torso.

He rolled onto her, hovering over her, ready to join with her without hurry, without fear, without anyone in the universe by the two of them. This time when he filled her, her voice sang out a satisfied moan without worry of being heard. Instead of the exciting rush of forbidden, hidden intimacy, he took his time with her, taking slow, deep strokes in and out of her wet, warm body. She held tight onto him, placing her trust, her heart, her body, everything to him.

Here, they only worshipped each other.


	16. Chapter 16

Four months after that fateful day the sun left her life, Demeter finally could take no more of it. She so dearly missed Kore she was willing to do the unthinkable: venture down to the Underworld to see her. She hadn't sent word, though many times considered it. Often in the middle of the night she would wake, the gaping hole of the absence ripping her apart, determining to leave as soon as the sun came up to see her. By the time sun did rise, she lost her nerve.

This time, despite her own reasoning against it, she decided to come. She made the dark journey through Erebus, unsure of how to announce herself when she arrived. Unlike on Earth, she had no power here.

Hades came across her first. Looking genuinely startled, he quickly gained his composure and offered her a polite greeting.

"Demeter," he said, nodding to her. "We weren't expecting you." She hated hearing the word "we" out of his mouth. No one should speak for her daughter. "Persephone will be thrilled to see you." She hated hearing that name from his mouth too, but was glad this awful trip wasn't being made anymore frustrating by his animosity. She admitted to herself it was far more courtesy than she would have offered had he come to visit Kore during the other half of the year.

Hades guided the harvest goddess to the bedroom. She tried to keep her gaze focused on following him, caught off guard by the beauty of his kingdom - it was not what she expected. She reminded herself beauty alone did not make a happy life.

"Persephone? You have a visitor." She turned, and Demeter laid eyes on her daughter for the first time in months.

She hardly recognized the women who had answered to that name. She was cloaked in a black fitted dress accented in silver, heavy diamonds dripping from her ears and covering her chest, her eyes darkly lined, her lips painted red. Her daughter was bright, girlish, and free-spirited. This woman looked reserved, sophisticated, and thoughtful. Curiosity touched her eyes before they widened with recognition and elation.

"Mother!" she squealed, running up to her and hugging her so hard she nearly knocked her off her feet. This was the daughter she remembered. "You finally came!"

"Of course I did. I've missed you my girl," she said, fondly brushing a stray hair that sprung free from a messy pinned back updo. Hades excused himself from their company to allow them this reunion in private. Seeing her now, Demeter couldn't understand how she'd managed to talk herself out visiting sooner.

"What do you think?" Persephone asked hesitantly, noticing her mother looking over her.

"I think…" she looked at her beautiful daughter. She looked foreign, alien, but stunning. "I think … you were born to be a queen, my dear." Demeter could hardly believe the shaky words that came out of her own mouth. She hated that this had happened this way … but it was true.

"Really?" Persephone's eyes watered, so relieved and elated to have her mother's approval in her new life. To avoid choking up, Demeter nodded. She threw her arms around her mother again and pulled away, back to her bouncing, bubbly self.

"Can I show you around?"

Persephone showed her mother the Underworld with such enthusiasm, such pride, Demeter struggled to be remember she was unhappy about it all. Kore had changed from the girl idly wandering the flowers and playing with nymphs to being confident, kind, and purposeful as queen of the dead. She even saw the flower crowns they had departed wearing: Hades' kept preserved as dried flowers, crimson red and yellowed white with dark edges, while Persephone's looked immaculate and unwilted as if the flowers had been picked that day. A fitting metaphor, she thought, for the king of the dead and the goddess of flowers.

Most distinct in Demeter's mind was watching Hades with her. He was regal, firm, and proper, every bit the king she expected him to be in his own element, in the place named for him. But as soon as Persephone entered the room, he melted. He indulged her every wish, doted upon her, waited on her hand and foot affectionately, like he took no day with her for granted. One of the reasons she could bear seeing her daughter now was knowing she was past halfway and spent more time there than she had left. Despite Persephone's pleas for her to stay, Demeter insisted she should return to the mortal world.

"I'm sorry sweetheart but I must go back. They certainly cannot go on without the both of us." Persephone pouted but couldn't find it in her to be sad after finally being able to show her mother all she had accomplished in her new world. "I miss you terribly, every single day. But I'm … I'm glad you're happy here. I'm glad he's good to you," she admitted, looking away.

"You really believe he's good to me now?"

"He adores you, Kore," she corrected. "And you deserve absolutely no less. He would be a fool not to." Persephone gave a hopeful smile and before she could stop herself, the words spilled out.

"I love him mama," she confessed, her eyes watering in happy tears. Demeter stood blindsided, eyes wide. Kore never held her heart back, so she certainly did love him if she said so. She was frozen in shock, but remembered how much her word meant to her daughter, her expectant face bringing her back to reality.

"Then he's the luckiest man in the cosmos," she said, taking her into a hug before her face could betray her. "And don't you let him forget it."

Demeter had always worried about Kore's life being half miserable with this arrangement. She wondered now if separating them would make the miserable half the one spent with her above.

Persephone took her mother to Hades' chariot to escort her back home. After bidding her a goodbye, Hades joined her, looking over the Styx and putting an arm around her.

"How is your mother?"

"Good, I think" she replied. "She won't admit it, but I think she's coming around. We should just give her more time. I know she saw how beautiful this place is. And you are," she added, nudging him in the side.

"I doubt 'beautiful' is a word Demeter would ever use to describe me." She laughed; he was still surprised at how often she thought his dry comments were funny, though he wasn't complaining.

"What I mean is she can see what a good husband you are to me." He turned to face her close, looking her in the eyes.

"It's because I love you, Persephone." Suddenly all her air was gone: she had always felt it, but he had never said the words. Her voice came out quiet, just over a whisper.

"I … I told my mother today that I love you." Her brow wrinkled: she had agonized over how to say it, when to say it, and doing it indirectly this way wasn't what she wanted. "W-what I mean to say is … Hades, I'm in love with you too. I-"

He picked her up by the waist, stopping her with a kiss. There were no words that would suffice in reply to this kind of happiness. Everything about her - the flower goddess he stole away, the queen she had become, the wife who loved him - was more than he'd ever hoped for. He let her down, her misty eyed adoration maybe the most perfect thing he'd ever seen.

"Are you sure we're alone? Your mother isn't going to come back to stay the night?" he asked, drawing closer to her.

"I'm all yours," she promised.

"You mean half mine," he muttered, Demeter's visit a stark reminder that Persephone's days in the Underworld were numbered.

"No," she said, taking his hands in hers and smiling up at him. "All yours."

...

 _Dear reader - thank you so so much for reading and your support on this story! Every single review, favorite, follow, or share was huge to me. I haven't written in years and initially only had a one shot in mind for this that developed into a lot more. Your encouragement was so key in motivating me to keep going and to not leave writing as a theoretical collection of ideas in the back of my mind. You are wonderful and appreciated, thank you, thank you, thank you!_


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